WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Sex Establishments: Planning Permission

Julie Morgan: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will make an assessment of  (a) the account taken by local authorities of the gender equality duty in determining applications for the opening of lap-dancing clubs and  (b) levels of use by local authorities of their powers to control the opening and regulation of such clubs.

Alan Campbell: I have been asked to reply.
	Currently, lap dancing clubs are required to obtain a premises licence or club premises certificate for regulated entertainment and the licensing authority will consider such applications in accordance with its powers to control and regulate such clubs under the Licensing Act 2003. The Government do not collect specific information on decisions taken by licensing authorities relating to applications for lap dancing clubs.
	On the 18 June 2008 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport wrote to chief executives of local authorities on the subject of lap dancing clubs to seek their views on whether they considered their powers under the Licensing Act 2003 were sufficient to regulate and control the opening of lap dancing in their area. This attracted 117 responses, the majority of which felt that additional legislation should be introduced to provide controls which are specific to lap dancing and similar premises.
	In response, the Government have included provisions in the Policing and Crime Bill to reclassify lap dancing clubs as sex encounter venues under Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. This will give local authorities more powers to control the number and location of lap dancing clubs. It will also allow them to consider their obligations under the Gender Equality Duty when determining new applications if appropriate.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Reform

Simon Hughes: To ask the Leader of the House what proposals she has for further modernisation of the working practices of the House.

Chris Bryant: The Modernisation Committee is currently inquiring into the arrangements for recall and dissolution. Other proposals are being considered by the Procedure Committee.
	My right hon. and learned Friend is always keen to hear proposals for modernisation of the working practices of the House.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office does not separately record entertainment costs. Any such costs will be met from within the Office's hospitality budget. The hospitality budget over the last five years was as follows:
	
		
			   Budget (£000) 
			 2004-05 26 
			 2005-06 25 
			 2006-07 25 
			 2007-08 25 
			 2008-09 23 
		
	
	The events run from within the Office's hospitality budget continue to be popular with MPs of all parties with relevant Scottish constituencies taking the opportunity to engage with important stakeholders and groups in Scotland.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland office does not hold the information in the format requested.

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on  (a) newspapers,  (b) magazines and  (c) periodicals in each year since 1997.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The office provides corporate services, such as the payment of invoices, to the Office of the Advocate General. Separate figures for newspapers and magazines for each office are not recorded; and the cost of periodicals is subsumed within the overall library costs, such as the purchase of books. Expenditure by both offices on newspapers and magazines was as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 1999-2000 9,096 
			 2000-01 13,639 
			 2001-02 12,968 
			 2002-03 12,990 
			 2003-04 12,556 
			 2004-05 11,546 
			 2005-06 9,318 
			 2006-07 9,753 
			 2007-08 6,728

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on staff surveys in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office ran one internally delivered staff survey during 2007 at no additional cost to the office. No staff survey was undertaken in 2008.

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on  (a) opinion polling,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other forms of market research in each year since 1997; if he will list the surveys commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. The Scotland Office incurred no costs on focus groups, opinion polls or other forms of market research between 1999-2000 and 2007-08. The office's estimated spend in 2008-09 on focus groups, to solicit views of voters to the Gould recommendations, is expected to be £24,500; no costs are anticipated on opinion polls or other forms of market research .

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Angling

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many rod licences were granted to people in each age group in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency sells different types of licences for fishing with rod and line in England, Wales and on the Border Esk in Scotland. The licence year runs from 1 April to 31 March. People over 65 years old are eligible for a concessionary licence while those between 12 and 16 years, inclusive, can buy a junior licence. Full licences are bought by people from 17 to 64 years, inclusive. One-day or eight-day licences can be bought by any age group. Published sales of each licence type are:
	
		
			  Rod licence type  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			 Full 629,100 672,243 666,533 682,709 680,279 
			 Concessionary (senior or disabled) 158,742 147,166 140,991 155,585 159,348 
			 Junior 125,930 123,046 117,770 128,740 120,250 
			 Eight day 43,197 44,698 47,733 55,747 64,223 
			 One day 279,020 309,690 308,510 336,183 323,990 
			 Total 1,235,989 1,296,843 1,281,537 1,358,964 1,348,090 
			 (1) Sales to end of December 2008.

Departmental Art Works

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which works of art from the Government Art Collection each Minister in his Department has selected for display in a private office.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA Ministers have the following works of art from the Government Art Collection displayed in their departmental offices:
	 The Secretary of State (the right hon. Hilary Benn MP)—four prints
	Thomas Shotter Boys—Hyde Park Corner
	Thomas Shotter Boys—Westminster Abbey
	Edmund Walker and Thomas Picken—The New Houses of Parliament
	William Parrott—Chelsea with part of the Old Church
	 Minister of State (the noble Lord Hunt)—one drawing, two prints and four photographs
	Elsie Few—Desert
	June Berry—The Green, Green Grass
	Brendan Neiland—Millbank
	Andy Goldsworthy—Ice Sphere
	Andy Goldsworthy—Ice Sphere (pendant)
	Andy Goldsworthy—Ice Star
	Andy Goldsworthy—Ice Star (pendant)
	Neither the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Wavertree , or I have any artwork from the Government Art Collection displayed in our offices.

Fish Farms: Pollution Control

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policy to minimise pollution from fish farms.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Environment Agency issues consents to all fish farms to control the discharge to the environment of pollutants expected from this type of operation. It does this by putting chemical limits on the consent which cannot be exceeded or issues a differential consent which compares upstream and downstream impacts.
	Fish farms also use various chemicals to control pests on the fish and treat infection. The Environment Agency asks the farmer to provide a chemical use plan which specifies the amount of chemical applied to the fish.
	From this the Environment Agency can work out the environmental impact downstream and compare against predetermined no-effect concentrations to fish and other organisms. Through this approach, the agency ensures that downstream environments are protected.

Fisheries: South West

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fisheries officers were based in each principal coastal town in Devon and Cornwall in each of the last three years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Data for the number of fishery officers in the Marine and Fisheries Agency is contained in the following table.
	
		
			   2008  2007  2006 
			  Office  District inspector  Senior fishery officer  Fishery officer  District inspector  Senior fishery officer  Fishery officer  District inspector  Senior fishery officer  Fishery officer 
			 Plymouth 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 3 
			 Brixham — 1 2 — 1 3 — 1 3 
			 Newlyn 1 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 3 
			 Penryn — — 2 — — 2 — — 2

Fisheries: Western Sahara

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely effect on UK-registered vessels fishing in waters off Western Saharan waters of the declaration of an exclusive economic zone covering such waters.

Huw Irranca-Davies: As yet no assessment has been made of the impact that this declaration will have on UK registered vessels.

Flood Control

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many flood risk management projects his Department has identified for implementation but not yet progressed; what estimate has been made of the cost of each such project; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: 30 projects with a construction budget of over £250,000 have been identified for implementation in the 2007-08 Medium Term Plan. Two of these projects are currently not being progressed.
	Ipswich Flood Defence Management Strategy Civil works is on hold as it is rescheduled for implementation in 2011-12 as part of the delivery of the Ipswich strategy. This project has a budget of £544,500.
	The Ashburton Ballard Stream Improvements project has closed as the scheme is not economically viable. This project spent £31,500 on the pre-feasibility study.

Floods: Canvey Island

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions the Environment Agency has had with Castle Point councillor Ray Howard on development on flood risk areas on Canvey Island in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 6 March 2009
	Councillor Howard is a long serving member of the Anglian (Eastern) Regional Flood Defence Committee. In fulfilling this role Councillor Howard has frequent discussions with Environment Agency officers regarding a wide range of flood risk management issues which include development in flood risk areas, such as Canvey Island. Councillor Howard has recently written to the Environment Agency on this matter.

Genetically Modified Organisms: Somerset

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 28 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 523-4W, on genetically modified (GM) organisms: Somerset, 
	(1)  what steps have been taken to protect seed imports destined for commercial crop production from GM contamination in the light of the oilseed rape crop contamination in South Somerset;
	(2)  what the separation distance between the oilseed rape crop in South Somerset found to be contaminated with a GM trait in 2008 and the neighbouring crop of oilseed rape was;
	(3)  whether the crop neighbouring the oilseed rape crop in South Somerset found to be contaminated with a GM trait in 2008 was a winter variety;
	(4)  what steps have been taken to prevent further GM contamination in the area surrounding the original contamination site;
	(5)  what distance was maintained between the GM contaminated crop and surrounding crops.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The DEFRA GM Inspectorate works with conventional seed importers to review their procedures for avoiding GM admixture. We are now considering together with the authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland what steps are needed to further minimise the possibility that GM seed might be sown accidentally in the UK.
	The crop grown by the farmer in Somerset from seed with a low GM admixture was of a winter oilseed rape variety. The other trial crop of conventional oilseed rape that he grew at the same time was of a spring variety. These crops were grown immediately adjacent to each other within the same field. No other oilseed rape crops are thought to have been grown in the surrounding area to a distance of approximately four miles.
	The affected farmer has taken and will continue to implement appropriate measures to reduce the presence of GM oilseed rape volunteer plants. A management plan for this has been agreed between the farmer, the seed company involved and the GM Inspectorate.

Litter: Costs

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the cost of clearing litter from  (a) roads,  (b) railways,  (c) footpaths,  (d) beaches,  (e) national parks and  (f) other public spaces in the last 12 months.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 6 March 2009
	DEFRA does not keep figures on the costs of clearing litter from the public spaces requested.

Litter: Costs

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to local authorities of removing chewing gum from  (a) streets and  (b) other public places was in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 6 March 2009
	DEFRA does not keep figures on the cost to local authorities of removing chewing gum.

Litter: Expenditure

Nick Herbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has given to the Keep Britain Tidy campaign in each of the last five years.

Huw Irranca-Davies: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The following table shows the grant funding to ENCAMS (also known as Keep Britain Tidy) over the last five years. As well as campaigning on litter, ENCAMS provides research and technical advice to Government.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2008-09 5.0 
			 2007-08 4.6 
			 2006-07 5.1 
			 2005-06 5.5 
			 2004-05 3.9

Nature Conservation

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the higher level stewardship target area statements for areas outside the East of England region do not list endangered  (a) bees,  (b) beetles and  (c) other invertebrates as qualifying features.

Huw Irranca-Davies: There are 110 published target areas for the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme in England. These are based upon data and evidence and show the areas where the scheme is best able to deliver the environmental outcomes that it was designed to deliver.
	The reason behind the apparent anomaly between the East of England target area statements and those in other regions, is that the East of England contains several target areas which include significant areas of arable land that support populations of rare invertebrates. Therefore there is specific reference to these within the target area statements. In most other regions the majority of arable land, and the rare invertebrates that depend upon it, are found outside the target areas.
	Outside target areas HLS can still be very important so each region has identified themes to address HLS priorities. The supporting regional theme statements give detail on these priorities and, in regions where rare invertebrates are present, these are specifically mentioned as qualifying features.

Nature Conservation

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what species of  (a) plants and  (b) animals are believed to have become extinct in Britain within the last 25 years; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Determining whether or not a species has become extinct is not an easy task. The approach taken in the UK can be summarised by reference to the guidance drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (2001):
	Extinct (ex). A taxon is extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon's life cycle and life form.
	The default time frame used in the UK to determine when a species has become extinct, is when there has been no record of the species in the last 50 years. Occasionally, for very well-recorded species, a shorter time frame is appropriate.
	The following table records the best available data:
	
		
			  Name  Extinct  Extant —d ate of last record 
			 Short-haired Bumble Bee (Bombus subterraneus) 2006 1988 
			 The Starry Breck Lichen (Buellia asterella) — 1999 
			 Ivell's Sea Anemone (Edwardsia ivelli) — (1)1983 
			 Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum) 2002 1986 
			 Black-Backed Meadow Ant (Formica pratensis) 1980s — 
			 Cuckoo Bee (Nomada errans) 2006 1982 
			 Pool Frog (Pelophylax lessonae) (2)1999 — 
			 Hair Silk-Moss (Plagiothecium piliferum) 2007 1939 
			 Rove Beetle (Stenus palposus) — (3)1985 
			 Essex Emerald Moth (Thetidia smaragdaria) (4)1991 — 
			 (1) Possibly extinct. (2) The pool frog has since been reintroduced and is part of an ongoing reintroduction scheme. (3) May be extinct. 4 Extinct in the wild.  Note: We cannot be certain that there have been no other extinctions because we do not have a complete inventory of species in the UK and not all groups are well recorded.

Rural Enterprise Scheme: Hemel Hempstead

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people in Hemel Hempstead constituency have received funding from the  (a) Rural Enterprise Scheme,  (b) Processing and Marketing Grants Scheme and  (c) Vocational Training Scheme in each year since their introduction; and what the duration was of the funding received from each scheme.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No one in the Hemel Hempstead constituency received funding from any of these schemes which formed part of the England Rural Development Programme. The programme closed on 31 December 2006.

TRANSPORT

Blue Badge Scheme

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's timetable is for implementation of its Comprehensive Blue Badge Reform Strategy.

Paul Clark: As announced in our Strategy document, we are developing a five-year implementation plan for completion of the whole programme. Individual elements of the programme will come on-stream over that five-year period.

Bus Services: Concessions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the merits of extending the national free concessionary bus pass scheme as it applies to disabled people to peak operating hours; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport recently commissioned research on the cost and impact of options for extending the current statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme. Based on this research, the Department estimates that it would cost around an extra £22 million per annum to extend the concession to enable peak hour travel for eligible disabled people.
	There are no plans at present to extend the statutory minimum to cover travel before 9.30 am. Local authorities have the power to extend their local concessionary travel schemes to include journeys in the morning peak if they so wish. Local authorities are best placed to make this decision based on local needs and circumstances. Any decision to extend the England-wide entitlement would have to be fully funded locally and would require careful consideration of the full impact.

Bus Services: Hampshire

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when a decision will be made on the bid by Transport for South Hampshire for community infrastructure funding for the development of a busway on the former Gosport to Fareham railway line.

Paul Clark: The Departments for Transport and Communities and Local Government (with advice from the Homes and Communities Agency) are currently considering the full business cases for schemes in this round of the Community Infrastructure Fund. It is expected that the successful bidders will be announced later this month.

Cycling: Helmets

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what timetable he has set for the publication of his Department's review of the wearing of cycle helmets.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department has commissioned a research project looking at a range of road safety and cycling issues. This will examine the following topics:
	Road user safety and cycling data;
	Cycling infrastructure;
	Attitudes and behaviours;
	Bicycle helmets.
	The project has been commissioned from a consortium led by the Transport Research Laboratory.
	The contract began on 21 August 2008 and will run for 24 months. The Department expects to publish the final reports in autumn 2010.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make all people living in West Chelmsford constituency eligible to register for the local residents scheme for the Dartford Crossing.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has no plans to extend the area eligible for the local discount scheme at the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) consultants and  (b) contractors are working on the flexible benefits project for the central units of his Department.

Geoff Hoon: One interim manager is working on the project. The supplier, Benefex Limited, is developing the solution.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the flexible benefits project for the central units of his Department has cost to date.

Geoff Hoon: No payment has yet been made to the supplier of the system.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether staff in the central units of his Department will be able to book season ticket loans via the shared service portal once the proposed flexible benefits website is operational.

Geoff Hoon: Applications for season ticket loans are currently paper-based but will continue to be processed by the Shared Services Centre.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which company won the tender to operate his Department's flexible benefits project.

Geoff Hoon: The contract was awarded to Benefex Limited.

Driving: Licensing

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from motoring organisations on procedures for informing motorists of the requirement to renew photo-card driving licences every 10 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No direct representations have been received from motoring organisations.

Driving: Licensing

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's latest estimate is of the number of cars not properly registered on their databases.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold this information in the format required.
	The main issue the DVLA has with vehicles being incorrectly registered on its database is that the keeper's name and address may be out of date. There are 34 million licensed vehicles on the DVLA database and the latest survey, which tests whether they are all traceable back to their current keeper, showed that 95.7 per cent. of vehicle keepers could be traced starting with the DVLA's main record. These figures cover all types of vehicles, not just cars.

M1

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost of widening the M1 between junctions 6a and 10 is; and how much of that sum will be paid from public funds.

Paul Clark: The currently estimated final (outturn) total cost of widening the M1 between junctions 6a and 10 is £294 million.
	The whole of this sum will be paid from public funds.

M1

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the cost of the construction of the M1 widening between junctions 6 and 10.

Paul Clark: The latest estimate of the overall cost of the M1 J6a - 10 Widening scheme is £294 million.

M1: Nottinghamshire

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the roadworks in Nottinghamshire on the M1 motorway north of junction 25 to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: It is expected that the improvements on the M1 J25-28 will be completed in October 2010.

M25

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of widening the M25 between junctions 1b and 3 was; and how much of this sum came from public funds.

Paul Clark: The total cost of the M25 J1b-3 widening scheme was £57 million as at 28 February 2009. All of this sum came from public funds.

M6

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of extending the M6 from Carlisle to Guards Mill was; and how much of this sum came from public funds.

Paul Clark: As work is still ongoing with aftercare and landscape planting taking place the final outturn cost is not yet determined. The scheme outturn cost is presently forecast at approximately £150 million. This also includes capital works to upgrade the Mossband Viaduct and access provision for the Carlisle Northern Development Route.
	The costs are to be met from public funds with a contribution of €8,510,000 provided by the European Union as the road forms part of the Trans European Network.

Motor Vehicles

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the number of cars on the road without valid  (a) road tax and  (b) insurance.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport published national statistics in December 2008 that estimated that the overall rate of unlicensed vehicles was 1 per cent. in 2008, equivalent to approximately 330,000 vehicles.
	On insurance, a roadside survey (Operation V79) was carried out by the Department in March 2008. 6,689 vehicles were stopped at random by police and checked for compliance with driver and vehicle licensing regulations. The recorded level of uninsured drivers from this survey was 1.2 per cent. However, comparison of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's vehicle register and motor insurance database suggests the total figure of uninsured driving is likely to be higher. In 2005, a comparison of the two databases estimated that about 2.1 million licensed vehicles were being driven by uninsured drivers. The comparison looks at all vehicle keepers and motor insurance policies and does not rely on vehicles being spotted in use on the road. Further work continues on a more recent comparison of the two databases and is undergoing validity checks by departmental statisticians.

Motor Vehicles: Cleveland

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles have been seized from  (a) disqualified and  (b) uninsured drivers in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last two years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Information on vehicles seized is not held on a constituency basis.
	The Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) receives information from all police forces on the number of vehicles seized. MIB figures for Cleveland police show that in 2008 196 vehicles were seized as a result of the driver not having a licence and 2,049 vehicles were seized for being uninsured. In 2007 a total of 1,829 vehicles were seized: however there is no breakdown available on the split between unlicensed and uninsured driving.

Motorways: Repairs and Maintenance

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1271W on the M1: Bedfordshire, what other hard shoulder running schemes on the  (a) M1,  (b) M25,  (c) M6,  (d) M62,  (e) M3,  (f) M4 approaching London,  (g) motorways around Manchester,  (h) motorways around Birmingham and  (i) motorways around Bristol are planned for 2009-10.

Paul Clark: Details of the hard shoulder running schemes on England's motorways are set out in "Britain's Transport Infrastructure Motorways and Major Trunk Roads" published on 15 January 2009. Copies of this document are available in the House Library or on the Department for Transport's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/network/policy/motorways/
	The hard shoulder running schemes that are expected to enter construction in 2009/10 in addition to M1 J10-13 are M4 J19-20, M5 J15-17 and M6 J8-10a.

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what expenditure has been incurred by his Department and its agencies on  (a) opinion polling,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other forms of market research in each year since its inception; what such surveys were commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Geoff Hoon: The information requested could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Railway Stations: Finance

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department plans to spend on the maintenance and development of railway stations in  (a) West Lancashire constituency and  (b) England in the next three years.

Paul Clark: The information is not available in the format requested. But Network Rail is funded, as set out in the Office of Rail Regulation's Final Determinations for Control Period 4, to ensure that there is no worsening in the average condition of each category of station on the network during Control Period 4 (2009-10 to 2013-14).
	At the same time, the Government are investing in improvements to stations through the national stations improvement programme, a programme of platform lengthening and the rebuilding of Birmingham New Street and Reading stations.

Railways Stations: Manpower

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of staffing at railway station ticket offices on levels of  (a) graffiti and vandalism,  (b) anti-social behaviour and  (c) crime at rail stations; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has not made any assessments of the effect of staffed ticket offices on levels of graffiti and vandalism, antisocial behaviour or crime at rail stations.
	The Government, the transport industry, local authorities and others are investing in and undertaking wide-ranging initiatives to tackle graffiti, vandalism, antisocial behaviour and crime at rail stations. These include staffing initiatives, staff training, CCTV surveillance, help points, good lighting and clear sight lines. There is also a range of legal measures available to transport operators to deal with antisocial behaviour.
	As part of the Secure Stations Scheme accreditation process, a record of crime and other incidents is required to be maintained and regularly monitored to identify any particular trends.
	In recent franchise competitions, we have continued with the policy of asking franchise bidders to achieve Secure Stations Scheme accreditation to cover 80 per cent. of its franchise footfall.

Railways: Plastics

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) meetings,  (b) correspondence and  (c) telephone contacts officials in his Department have had with Iplas plc of Halifax on the procurement of rail sleepers, in the last 12 months.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport is not aware of any contact in the last year.
	The procurement of sleepers is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My right hon. Friend should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	Iain Coucher
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	Kings Place
	90 York Way
	London, N1 9AG

Railways: Standards

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of train services have been  (a) delayed and  (b) cancelled in (i) England, (ii) the North East, (iii) Tees Valley district and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Clark: The latest 10-year period for which cancellation figures are available for England and Wales is February 1999 to February 2009. The proportion of planned passenger train services cancelled for their whole journey is given by year in the following table:
	
		
			   Cancellations (percentage) 
			 1999-2000 1.1 
			 2000-01 2.3 
			 2001-02 1.8 
			 2002-03 1.6 
			 2003-04 1.3 
			 2004-05 1.2 
			 2005-06 1.2 
			 2006-07 1.2 
			 2007-08 1.1 
			 2008-09 1.0 
		
	
	The Department for Transport does not hold information about delays and cancellations specific to the north-east, Tees Valley district and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. Neither does the Department hold information about proportions of trains delayed on their journey; therefore, data specific to delays are unavailable.
	The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) is responsible for publishing and monitoring data on rail performance, and for a breakdown by individual train operator, my hon. Friend may wish to consult ORR's publication 'National Rail Trends' on their website at:
	http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1863

Regional Transport Forums

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what monitoring or reviewing his Department undertakes of the decisions of regional transport boards; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: Regional transport boards or equivalent bodies have been established in most regions by regional bodies, local authorities and other partners to consider and advise on strategic transport issues in the region. Particular arrangements, roles and responsibilities vary between regions. The bodies have been established voluntarily by regions and the Department for Transport has no role in overseeing them.
	Regional transport boards often play a part in preparing advice from the region to Government, for example on regional strategies and funding. Decisions on such matters are however for Government rather than the boards.

Roads and Railways: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees of  (a) the Highways Agency and  (b) external contractors he expects to work on (i) the motorways and major trunk roads scheme, (ii) electrification of the Midland Mainline and Great Western lines and (iii) High Speed Two in (A) 2009-10, (B) 2010-11 and (C) 2011-12.

Paul Clark: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The Highways Agency cannot provide the information in the form sought, particularly in relation to contractors. However, the Major Projects Directorate of the Agency, whose job it is to oversee the preparation, design and construction of motorway and trunk road schemes, comprises 357 staff.
	Staff from Network Operations Directorate are also engaged in scheme delivery and a large proportion of its circa 800 staff members are involved in scheme delivery of renewal, improvement or maintenance schemes. This number excludes the Traffic Officer Service.
	"Britain's Transport Infrastructure: High Speed Two", published in January 2009, said that High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd would draw on resources from Network Rail and the Department for Transport. It is expected this will number up to about 25 people, plus consultancy resources as necessary. The process for recruitment of these resources is a matter for the company. Future resource requirements at High Speed Two are dependent upon ministerial decisions following HS2's report at the end of this year.
	The Secretary of State for Transport confirmed in January that a decision on the electrification of Midland Main Line and Great Western Main Line would be announced later this year. Should a positive decision be made, it will be for Network Rail to manage the delivery of any electrification scheme and to appoint appropriate contractors.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in which country the  (a) design and development work and  (b) construction of the initial batch of engines and carriages for the new Intercity Express programme trains will take place.

Paul Clark: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The design and development work associated with the Super Express contract will be split between the UK and Japan. Agility estimates that 50 UK-based design jobs will be created shortly as a result of their Super Express proposals. Construction of the first 70 of the total 1,400 Super Express vehicles will be done in Japan.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility with EU competition law of the undertaking given by Hitachi and its partners that 70 per cent. of the contract value for the new Intercity Express programme train will be spent in the UK.

Paul Clark: holding answer 6 March 2009
	In Agility Trains' press release of 12 February, the consortium committed to spending 70 per cent. of the Super Express contract value in the UK. This commitment did not form part of Agility's bid and it was not a factor in the Department for Transport's evaluation of the proposals. It is for Agility to source suppliers in order to deliver the Department's specification and it is for the consortium to tender the work as appropriate and to honour any relevant EU competition laws.

Transport: Schools

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his Department's publication "Travelling to School: An Action Plan", whether his Department has estimated the number of cars on the school run on urban roads in the morning peak traffic period during term time.

Paul Clark: Data on the number of cars on the school run are not available centrally. However, figures on the proportion of car trips in the morning peak period in urban areas which were taking children to school are published in "National Travel Survey: 2006". This publication is available on the Department for Transport's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/personal/mainresults/nts2006/

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Ivan Lewis: Information on how many staff in the Department for International Development (DFID) were recorded absent due to non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; plus (i) the associated cost of such absence, and (ii) the number of working hours lost due to such absence cannot be provided because the information is not held centrally.
	It is for individual staff to agree holidays or time off from work or alternative arrangements to work from home with their line managers.
	On 2 February 2009, guidance was issued stating that given the severe disruption to transport and schools we were not expecting most London-based staff to be able to get to work. Staff were advised to do whatever work they could from home, otherwise the absence would not be treated as a day of leave. London-based staff who were able to get in were advised to leave work in good time to get home because of the transport disruption and the expectation that the snow would get worse.

Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in his Department were disciplined for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) has disciplined less than five employees for  (a) bullying and  (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. Due to the small number of cases, a detailed breakdown is not made public on the grounds of confidentiality.

Departmental Personnel

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) dates of employment,  (b) salary and  (c) other costs of employment were of the interim HR Manager provided by Penna Consulting Plc to his Department in 2008, reference number 200808430.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development (DFID) contracted Penna Interim to provide an interim HR director (contract title: interim HR manager) from 7 April to 31 October 2008. The overall contract cost was £200,920.28 which includes management service, fees, and travel and expenses.
	DFID cannot comment on salary and other employment costs because the interim HR director was not an employee of DFID.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will place in the Library a copy of his reply to the letter of 12 February 2009 from the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk (Mr. Moore) on his Department's Spring Supplementary Estimates.

Douglas Alexander: The letter sent to the hon. Member for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk on the Department's spring supplementary estimates will be placed in the Library.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 100-01WS, on departmental expenditure limits, what the  (a) nature and  (b) location of the work undertaken by locally-engaged staff in Iraq in respect of which his Department plans to transfer £300,000 to the Ministry of Defence was.

Douglas Alexander: Locally engaged staff, referred to in the written ministerial statement of 12 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 100-01WS, were employed to support the delivery of the Department for International Development's (DFID) programmes in Iraq. Work included project administration and translation. The staff were located at DFID's offices in Baghdad and Basra.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in developing countries directly affected by HIV/AIDS; and what percentage of such people have access to HIV/AIDS treatments.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for International Development relies on data produced by UNAIDS. The global AIDS epidemic is stabilising but at an unacceptably high level. According to the 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic, published by UNAIDS worldwide, there were an estimated 33 million (30-36 million) people living with HIV in 2007. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most heavily affected by HIV, accounting for 67 per cent. of all people living with HIV and for 75 per cent. of AIDS deaths in 2007.
	By the end of 2007, antiretroviral drugs reached three million people in low and middle-income countries, representing 31 per cent. of estimated global need, and a 45 per cent. improvement over the position in 2006.
	Further data available from the UNAIDS 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic are available at:
	http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/2008_Global_report.asp

Guinea-Bissau: Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian assistance his Department has provided to Guinea-Bissau in the last financial year.

Douglas Alexander: Details on the Department for International Development's (DFID) bilateral expenditure are contained in the DFID publication 'Statistics on International Development'. This publication is available in the Library and online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	In 2007-08 DFID provided £1,003 of assistance to Guinea-Bissau.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what scheme of compensation exists for his Department's officials injured in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Department for International Development (DFID) staff are covered for injury or death when working in hostile environments through the standard benefits of the Civil Service Pension Scheme. These are:
	a death benefit lump sum of two or three times annual salary, depending on scheme membership;
	payment of widower's or eligible partner's pension (depending on the pension scheme);
	injury benefit to bring the employee's income up to a guaranteed level if they are injured while on duty. It may be paid to their dependants if the employee is killed on duty.
	In addition, for staff working in dangerous locations:
	DFID indemnifies existing life or personal accident insurance policies to maximum limit of £300,000 for life insurance and £55,188 for personal accident;
	DFID acts as its own insurer for staff with or without existing life/personal accident insurance policies, working in or visiting dangerous locations. There is no defined list of dangerous locations—DFID makes judgments on the merits of individual cases. The compensation limit is up to four times annual salary, paid as an "ex-gratia" payment.

Pakistan: Internally Displaced Persons

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to assist the work of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to provide humanitarian assistance to people displaced within Pakistan.

Douglas Alexander: The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated, at the beginning of March, that 372,000 people had been displaced in Pakistan as a result especially of conflict and insecurity in the areas of the country bordering Afghanistan. The Department for International Development (DFID) has so far provided £1 million to the UN and a further £1 million to the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) to support their work in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of this displacement. This funding has been used in particular to provide shelter, water and sanitation, food, social protection and health care. The UN and ICRC have recently released new appeals, seeking additional funding. We are considering these carefully and expect to commit additional resources in the next few weeks.
	An estimated 1.7 million Afghan refugees remain in Pakistan. DFID approved £1 million to UNHCR for assisted Afghan refugee repatriation in 2008.

St. Helena: Tourism

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his estimate is of the potential annual income from tourism to St. Helena in a period of 20 years following the construction of an airport on the island.

Michael Foster: The 2005 Feasibility Study, which is in the public domain, estimated annual revenues of between £1 million and £33 million from tourism up to a period of 20 years after the opening of an airport.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of reports of the expulsion of aid workers from Darfur.

Douglas Alexander: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that the recent directive by the Government of Sudan to expel 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) could reduce the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Darfur by 50 per cent. Over 1 million Darfuris may lose access to drinking water, 1.1 million may not receive food aid, and 1.5 million could lose access to basic health care. OCHA believes that the expulsions would
	"fundamentally undermine the operational capacity of the UN".
	The UK ambassador is pressing the Government of Sudan to reverse this decision, and the UN Secretary-General and the European Commission have both made public statements to this effect. The UK is in close touch with the NGOs affected, as well as with the UN and other partners. We will continue to monitor developments closely and seek to ensure continued humanitarian assistance for the people of Darfur.

Trade Agreements: International Co-operation

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made on the G20 pledge to agree the modalities of a world trade agreement by the end of 2008; what assessment he has made of the prospects for completion of the Doha round in 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Although the Prime Minister and UK Ministers worked tirelessly in support of a successful outcome to the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, WTO director general, Pascal Lamy confirmed at the Trade Negotiating Council (TNC) on 17 December that it would no longer be possible to achieve agriculture and non-agricultural market access (industrial goods) modalities by the end of 2008.
	The current negotiating texts, however, do provide a good basis for future negotiations. In 2009, our priority is to work towards ministerial agreement of modalities; we will continue to work to achieve this.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he plans to answer Question 251225, tabled on 21 January 2009, on the Doha round of world trade talks.

Gareth Thomas: The answer to question 251225 has been issued.

Zimbabwe: Malnutrition

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of malnutrition in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The most recent nutritional assessment in Zimbabwe was conducted by UNICEF in November 2008. This highlighted the seriousness of the situation and the clear need for food aid. It also showed that there is considerable resilience in the Zimbabwe population. The proportion of children under age five who are underweight was estimated at 17 per cent., a rate that has not changed since 2003; while chronic malnutrition has slightly declined by 2 per cent. to 27 per cent. The number of acutely malnourished children is increasing but at 4.8 per cent. remains below internationally recognised emergency levels (10 per cent.) across the country.
	There are several important reasons for this resilience, notably the following:
	Many Zimbabwean households receive remittances from household members working abroad.
	There is a culture of children eating available food first while as many as a third of adults will go with one or fewer meals in a day.
	A high contraceptive prevalence rate has led to smaller family sizes.
	The main reason, however, for malnutrition levels being less high than might be expected is likely to be the enormous food aid programme that has fed seven million people in February. A sustained feeding programme will be needed through the next growing season in order to ensure nutritional status is protected and even improved.

Zimbabwe: Malnutrition

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of people in Zimbabwe who are reliant upon international food aid; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: UN figures suggest that 7 million people will have received food aid in Zimbabwe by February 2009. The next harvest—which will be collected in April—is likely to be slightly better for those who managed to plant seeds. However, as a result of an NGO ban during the election period last year, distribution of agricultural inputs was delayed and some people were unable to access the fertiliser they needed for a good crop. While an accurate estimate of the harvest will be done in March, early projections suggest a similar scale of food insecurity is anticipated in 2009-10 with a peak before next year's harvest.
	The NGO ban and the failure of the Government of Zimbabwe to import their agreed quota of food have made this a particularly challenging situation. The international community has shown considerable flexibility in ensuring that the basic food needs of the people of Zimbabwe are largely being met but more support will continue to be needed next year.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Business Plans

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish his Department's annual corporate plan.

Andy Burnham: The Department's next annual corporate plan is due to be published in spring 2009.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested by the hon. Member is not readily available from the Department's accounting system. To provide the information would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Gerry Sutcliffe: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport the recognised trade unions are the Public and Commercial Services Union and the First Division Association.

Equality

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  when he plans to publish his Department's progress review on work with its public bodies on ensuring that diversity is built into governance regimes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects to publish his Department's review on work with its public bodies on ensuring that diversity is built into their governance regimes; and if he will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I plan to publish details of the composition of our non-departmental public bodies boards, as part of a Departmental Appointments Plan, in April.

Licensing Laws: Bureaucracy

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what administrative cost reductions his Department has identified which have resulted from the entry into force of the Gambling Act 2005;
	(2)  what administrative cost reductions his Department has identified which have resulted from the entry into force of the Licensing Act 2003.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DCMS continues to take significant steps towards reducing administrative burdens arising from its legislation. The latest simplification plan, the third one produced by DCMS, sets out progress to date and details of the forthcoming measures that will be implemented during 2009. Details can be found at the following web address:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/Simplification_Plan_2008.pdf
	DCMS has exceeded its baseline target to deliver a 43 per cent. reduction in administrative burdens. This has been achieved in large part by the changes to the regulatory regimes under the Licensing Act 2003 and the Gambling Act 2005 which consolidated a number of separate pieces of legislation.
	With the assistance of an expert panel last year, DCMS carried out a costing exercise of the Gambling Act 2005 using the standard cost model. This was a commitment from the previous plan and looked at the administrative costs of the previous regime compared with the new one established under the Act. It found that the administrative burden of the 2005 Act stands at £17.4 million annually which is a reduction from the baseline of the previous regime which was estimated by PricewaterhouseCoopers to be £74 million annually.
	In respect of the Licensing Act 2003, the saving to the industry from reduced administrative burdens, validated by an expert panel including industry representatives, is about £99 million annually against a baseline established by PricewaterhouseCoopers in May 2005. The 2003 Licensing Act came into full operation in November 2005 and aggregate savings since then exceed £300 million.

Museums and Galleries: VAT

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the retail prices for entry and guided tours have been reduced as a result of the December 2008 reduction in value added tax in  (a) the Wallace Collection,  (b) the Victoria and Albert Museum,  (c) the Tate,  (d) the Royal Armouries Museum,  (e) Sir John Soane's Museum,  (f) the Natural History Museum,  (g) the National Maritime Museum,  (h) the National Museum of Science and Industry,  (i) the National Gallery,  (j) the Geffrye Museum and  (k) the Horniman Public Museum.

Andy Burnham: Entrance to the museums listed is free, with the exception of the Tate St. Ives. Services offered by the museums are often free or where charges are made, they have fully reflected the reduction in VAT. Exceptions to this, where the museums have handled the rate change in VAT in different ways are summarised in the following list. The remainder of the museums have either fully passed on the reduction or do not offer or charge for guided tours.
	 1. Victoria and Albert Museum
	The museum consolidated the VAT reduction for paying exhibitions into the ticket groups which it is believes will benefit the most. These are the concession rates for students, the unemployed and 12-17 year olds. Audio guides are supplied under contract by an external company, who have not reduced the unit price.
	 2. Tate
	The Tate has not reduced charges for guided tours where a fee is incurred, as all guided tours are pre-booked. As a result the tours have been previously advertised and invoiced at the pre-VAT reduction price. The cost of changing this negated any reduction that might have been passed on. However, tour prices which would normally have increased in January 2009, were held at 2008 prices. The gallery's audio guides are supplied under contract by an external company, who have not reduced the unit price.
	 3. National Maritime Museum
	The only current admissions charge is for the Peter Harrison Planetarium, where no adjustment has been made for the reduction in VAT as the effect on price was considered too small. The museum decided instead to freeze Planetarium ticket prices for next year. During the most recent paying exhibition, the museum experimented with audio guide pricing and prices were varied on a number of occasions. Since 11 January 2009 the audio guides have been free of charge. Prior to this, where charges were made at varying rates, the price was not adjusted to reflect the reduction in VAT.
	 4. National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI)
	The museum has applied the VAT reduction to entry charges over £10.00. This includes special exhibitions and IMAX. Audio guides are only available at one of the NMSI's branches, the National Railway Museum, where no adjustment was made for the reduction in VAT as the charge for these is under £10.00.
	 5. National Gallery
	Prices for paying exhibitions have not been reduced as a result of the reduction in VAT. The price reduction was considered not material and would have produced an unwieldy pricing structure. Instead ticket prices are being held without increase throughout 2009. Guided tours, which are part of the gallery's education programme are exempt from VAT. Audio guides for the main collection are by voluntary donation. A charge is made for audio guides for temporary exhibitions which has not been reduced as a result of the reduction in VAT. The first guide produced following the VAT reduction was an improved product with increased production costs which were not passed on to the public as the charge was held at previous levels.
	 6. Geffrye Museum
	Guided tours and audio guides are charged at a nominal rate and prices have not been reduced as a result of the reduction in VAT, as the effect on price is considered too small.

National Lottery: Complaints

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 892W, on National Lottery: complaints, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the National Lottery Commission and Camelot implement lessons learned from complaints handled on a case-by-case basis; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: Both the National Lottery Commission and Camelot aim to provide a fair, transparent and accountable procedure for handling complaints from whatever source and by whichever channel of communication they are received. Complaints received by the Commission are logged and considered by a consumer protection team which reports quarterly to the Commissioners. This allows for trends in complaints or unusual cases to be escalated within the Commission and the appropriate action to be taken. As a matter of course, for every complaint received, Camelot reviews whether lessons can be learned and, if practicable, these are then implemented.

Tourism: South West

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) domestic and  (b) overseas visitors visited (i) North Wiltshire constituency, (ii) Wiltshire and (iii) the South West in each year since 1997; and what the average spend per person per day was in each case.

Barbara Follett: VisitBritain have advised that, due to changes in the methodology used in the United Kingdom Tourism Survey, the information on domestic visits in the form requested is only available from 2006. Domestic visit figures before this date were collected in a way which is not consistent with the new methodology and are therefore not comparable.
	VisitBritain have also advised that information on overseas visits is held from 1999 at a national and regional level but that it is not available at a constituency level.
	Therefore, the following table sets out the number of  (a) domestic and  (b) overseas visits to (i) Wiltshire and (ii) the South West in each year for which the information is available; and what the average spend per person, per day, was in each case(1):
	 Source:
	(1)( )United Kingdom Tourism Survey, which provides details of the number of visits rather than the number of visitors.
	
		
			   Domestic staying visits ( Thousand )  Domestic spend per visitor per day (£)  Inbound staying visits ( Thousand )  Inbound spend per visitor per day (£) 
			   Wiltshire  South West  Wiltshire  South West  Wiltshire  South West  Wiltshire  South West 
			 1999 — — — — 270 1,600 48 42 
			 2000 — — — — 250 1,630 49 42 
			 2001 — — — — 160 1,370 53 40 
			 2002 — — — — 210 1,430 59 46 
			 2003 — — — — 240 1,880 31 41 
			 2004 — — — — 280 2,030 41 43 
			 2005 — — — — 280 2,140 40 49 
			 2006 1,590 20,310 42 47 270 2,230 42 41 
			 2007 1,290 20,460 51 48 280 2,250 46 43

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

14 Tothill Street

Caroline Spelman: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission for how many months the offices at 14 Tothill street have been empty; for what reasons the offices have been empty; and what the cost of  (a) rent and  (b) business rates during this period has been. [Official Report, 5 May 2009, Vol. 492, c. 1MC.]

Nick Harvey: The building was acquired following a property search to meet a need from the House of Lords for decant space to facilitate the development of the Millbank Island site and a requirement for additional space from the House of Commons. The property search had revealed a dearth of suitable accommodation at that time within an acceptable distance of the Palace of Westminster, 14 Tothill street being the only one available with sufficient space that met the criteria.
	The lease commenced in October 2007. It is held by the House of Commons with a memorandum of understanding to cover the House of Lords' use of part of the building and the facilities.
	When acquired it had been refurbished by the landlord ready for fitting out, including services, by the tenant. The initial 12 months were rent-free, reflecting the sort of period that would be needed for any tenant to bring the building into beneficial use. Work on the floors to be occupied by the House of Lords is timed to be completed for the return of the House from the summer adjournment and the move of the Law Lords to the new Supreme Court building. A decision will be taken this month on the occupation of the House of Commons' space. The decision will be based on the need to free up 1 Derby Gate for occupation by Members as recommended by the Administration Committee.
	The Commons share of the total rent paid to date, including the current quarter, is £2.38 million (including VAT). Business rates are not due until the property is occupied.

Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many House of Commons staff were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to the Commission and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance is issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Nick Harvey: On 2 February 459 staff were recorded as absent from work owing to the adverse weather and the disruption to travel services and 64 were recorded similarly on 3 February. A number of those absent were able to work remotely from home and the House was able to continue sitting with reasonable services provided for Members. The figures do not include absences due to illness, training courses or planned annual leave. Figures for the cost and the number of working hours lost are not available. Managers' attention was drawn to the standing instructions in the Staff Handbook which require staff to make every reasonable effort to get to work during a transport emergency, but give managers discretion to allow special leave where appropriate. The Staff Handbook is available on the parliamentary intranet.

Audio Recordings

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the House of Commons Commission will place on the Parliamentary  (a) intranet and  (b) internet site a sound recording of the debate held on the Motion on Her Majesty's Government on 28 March 1979; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: A history area of the website is planned, and this is the sort of material which will be considered for inclusion. In the meantime any hon. Member can obtain an audio copy of the debate from the Parliamentary Recording Unit.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much the House of Commons Commission spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Nick Harvey: The following amounts have been spent on staff surveys in recent years:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2005-06 39 
			 2006-07 44 
			 2007-08 34 
			 2008-09 (to date) 51 
		
	
	Detailed figures for earlier years are no longer held, in line with the House's data retention policies. The contracted work has been undertaken by Towers Perrin; Whitmuir Management Consultants and Empathica.

Parliamentary Education Unit

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what materials are produced by the Parliamentary Education Service for  (a) schools and  (b) individual pupils; what publications are planned during the next year; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The Education Service produces a range of materials about Parliament, the work of Members (of both Houses), and political literacy generally. All resources are provided free to schools. While many of the materials are suitable for use by individual pupils, they are primarily used in the classroom. One publication targeted at pupils directly is the young person's guide entitled "The Houses of Parliament", which is distributed to all school-aged visitors taking a tour of Parliament.
	Teaching resources currently in print include a range of different booklets targeted at pupils from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 5 (covering ages seven to 18). There is also a set of four films on DVD, including the award-winning "Democracy? You Decide" and "You've Got the Power". The latter has just been updated and is available with a teacher's booklet for three age groups. It is also being made available on Parliament's YouTube channel
	www.youtube.com/UKParliament
	The Education Service relaunched its website
	www.parliament.uk/education
	in October 2008. This provides a variety of resources which can be used online and also downloaded, including all the printed publications together with information pages, lesson plans, films, virtual tours of Parliament, games and activities, and podcasts. Users can also subscribe to a monthly electronic newsletter. The Education Service will provide materials on request to Members to support their work with schools.
	Plans for the next financial year include the provision of a new set of printed publications to replace and consolidate the existing booklets which have been in use for a number of years. The new publications are being designed to support more directly the citizenship and politics curricula. New content is also being commissioned for the website, including interactive games. There are also plans to replace the films and other content following the next general election.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the average length of service is of the  (a) police officers and  (b) security officers employed in the Palace of Westminster; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The average length of police service of those Metropolitan Police officers currently serving at the Palace of Westminster is 24 years.
	The average length of service of security officers and security officer managers currently employed by the Metropolitan Police Service at the Palace of Westminster is 11.8 years.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many armed police officers of each rank  (a) are employed and  (b) were employed on average in each year since 2001 in (i) the Palace of Westminster and (ii) the Parliamentary estate.

Nick Harvey: We do not disclose the exact disposition of our Security operation. The security work force is regularly reviewed by the parliamentary authority.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission where positions for  (a) police officers,  (b) armed police officers and  (c) security officers employed on the Parliamentary estate are advertised.

Nick Harvey: Vacancies for all police officers and security officers on the parliamentary estate, for all duties, are advertised to serving Metropolitan Police Service staff and officers internally and, when appropriate, externally in suitable security and police-related media. Information can be accessed at sites such as
	www.met.police.uk/careers/policestaff-vacancies
	and
	www.AllPolicejobs.co.uk

Vote Bundle

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many  (a) members of the public and  (b) public libraries purchased the Vote Bundle in each of the last two years; what the retail price of the Vote Bundle per printed page is; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: No public libraries or members of the public take copies of the Vote Bundle either on subscription or on standing order. The retail price of the Vote Bundle is 18p per printed page.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Agriculture: Planning Permission

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the area of farmland of  (a) grade 1 (excellent),  (b) grade 2 (very good),  (c) grade 3a (good),  (d) grade 3b (moderate),  (e) grade 4 (poor) and  (f) grade 5 (very poor) in England taken for development in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: Annual information on the area of agricultural land in hectares changing to a developed use in England from 1996 is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Area of agricultural land (hectares) 
			 1996 6,260 
			 1997 5,280 
			 1998 5,620 
			 1999 n/a 
			 2000 5,280 
			 2001 4,660 
			 2002 3,940 
			 2003 5,990 
			 2004 2,690 
			 2005 4,140 
			 2006 2,910 
		
	
	There is no information available on changes in land use for Wales, nor on how much of the above changes were from each grade of agricultural land.
	Information for 1999 is thought to be understated and 'not fit for purpose' and has not been published.

Council Housing: Greater London

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 540-01W, on council housing: Greater London, when she expects the new analytical model to be in use by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: We expect the housing need analytical model to be in use within Communities and Local Government by autumn 2009.

Council Housing: Rents

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what average changes in the level of rents have been decided by local housing authorities for 2009-10.

Iain Wright: This information is not yet available.
	The Minister for Housing announced on 6 March that Communities and Local Government will shortly be consulting local authorities on a reduced national average guideline rent increase of 3.1 per cent. for 2009-10. This halves the existing national increase of 6.2 per cent. in recognition of the current difficult economic times. Authorities that reduce their rent increases in response to our offer will be compensated through the subsidy system.
	We have also already committed to looking again at the 2010-11 national guideline rent increase in the light of circumstances closer to the start of that financial year.

Council Housing: Rents

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the terms of reference of her Department's review of council housing finance and rents policy are; and who is undertaking the review.

Iain Wright: The review of council housing finance and rents policy is a joint review between HM Treasury and the Department of Communities and Local Government. It was launched by Ministers in March 2008 and the terms of reference were agreed with stakeholders at that event.
	The full text of the terms of reference is available on the CLG website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/housing/decenthomes/council housingfinance/housingfinancereview
	Briefly, these are:
	To develop a sustainable, long-term system for financing council housing, one that is consistent with wider housing policy, including the establishment of a regulator of social housing.
	To inform the annual HRA subsidy determinations in the remaining two years of the current spending period;
	To inform a policy framework for rents and standards for the regulator of social housing;
	To consider options for the future of the subsidy system including rents policy and to inform the next spending review;
	To commission research to support the review.
	The terms of reference are underpinned by a set of guiding principles which seek to improve tenant empowerment, increase flexibility and self-determination (where appropriate) for local authorities, and ensure that rents remain affordable for all social tenants while maximising the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the services provided by their landlords.

Council Tax: Rents

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average council tax bill per resident issued by each county council in England was in 2008-09.

John Healey: County councils do not issue council tax bills themselves. They do, however, levy a precept on lower tier authorities who then collect the council tax on their behalf.
	Details of the county council's own average council tax requirement (in £) per resident of each county council in England for 2008-09 are shown in the following table. These do not include the council tax requirement of the lower tier authorities or any other authorities that precept on the lower tier authorities.
	
		
			  County  Average council tax requirement  (£) 
			 Bedfordshire 408.12 
			 Buckinghamshire 435.36 
			 Cambridgeshire 349.88 
			 Cheshire 397.45 
			 Cornwall (1)368.82 
			 Cumbria (1)394.73 
			 Derbyshire 345.17 
			 Devon 403.75 
			 Dorset 460.72 
			 Durham 311.27 
			 East Sussex 438.13 
			 Essex 397.63 
			 Gloucestershire (1)388.31 
			 Hampshire 389.31 
			 Hertfordshire (1)446.90 
			 Kent 384.89 
			 Lancashire 351.94 
			 Leicestershire 345.40 
			 Lincolnshire (1)338.97 
			 Norfolk (1)378.48 
			 North Yorkshire 380.68 
			 Northamptonshire (1)322.44 
			 Northumberland (1)390.45 
			 Nottinghamshire 378.70 
			 Oxfordshire (1)411.55 
			 Shropshire 374.89 
			 Somerset 368.57 
			 Staffordshire 338.62 
			 Suffolk (1)379.23 
			 Surrey 471.90 
			 Warwickshire 408.53 
			 West Sussex (1)456.57 
			 Wiltshire 396.47 
			 Worcestershire 366.70 
			 (1) Counties responsible for funding the fire service for their county area; in the remaining counties the fire service is the responsibility of a separate authority and is funded by a separate council tax precept that is not included in these figures. 
		
	
	The data are calculated from the council tax requirement as stated on the authorities' Budget Requirement form for 2008-09 submitted to Communities and Local Government divided by the mid-2007 population estimates.

Councillors: Arun

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill) of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1072W, on councillors: Arun, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Code of Data Matching Practice.

Sadiq Khan: A copy of the Audit Commission's Code of Data Matching Practice has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Households

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households there are in the UK; and how many are classified as  (a) retired,  (b) non-retired and  (c) non-retired with children.

Iain Wright: The latest estimates based on 2008 Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey data are:
	
		
			   Number (million) 
			 Total number of households in the UK 25.7 
			 Retired households 6.5 
			 Non-retired households 19.2 
			 Non-retired with children aged 0 to 15 6.6 
		
	
	Retired households are defined as those whose household reference person is retired.

Housing Revenue Accounts

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken on the Housing Revenue Account subsidy.

Iain Wright: An equality impact assessment has not been carried out on the long established housing revenue account subsidy system.
	The housing finance review is currently considering future arrangements and options for financing council housing. The Government want to see everyone in a decent home at affordable rents and at an affordable cost. An equality impact assessment will be considered as part of the review process.

Housing: Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment she has made of the effects of the bringing forward of capital spending announced in the pre-Budget report 2008 on the  (a) Decent Homes programme,  (b) provision of social rented housing and  (c) numbers of repairs to council house stock; and what progress has been made against the objective of assisting key regeneration and housing infrastructure projects.

Iain Wright: In the pre-Budget report (PBR) we announced additional brought forward expenditure to sustain and accelerate the Decent Homes programme in 2009-10. Significant elements of this will support expenditure above existing national budgets provided to schemes previously identified by partners in the arm's length management organisation and transfer programmes. Additional brought forward capital, up to a maximum total value of £100 million, will be available to ALMOs in 2009-10 and the HCA has written to ALMO chief executives on the process for accessing this.
	We also announced that £175 million would be brought forward from 2010-11 for major repairs to council housing stock. CLG has written separately to councils and ALMO chief executives on the process for accessing this resource. CLG and the HCA are currently reviewing bids for funding so no assessment of the effects of the bringing forward of capital spending can be made yet.
	The PBR also brought funds of £150 million from 2010-11 into 2009-10 within the Homes and Communities Agency's Affordable Housing Programme (AHP). These funds will be utilised next year in the delivery of social rented homes within the overall AHP.

Infrastructure Planning Commission: Pay

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to pages 9-10 of her Department's publication of January 2009, Annex to the Planning Bill Impact Assessment: Royal Assent, for what reasons the expected remuneration of the chairman of the Infrastructure Planning Commission will be significantly higher than the £150,000 a year originally estimated; and whether the salaries of the deputy chairs will be similarly increased.

Iain Wright: The annex to the Planning Bill Impact Assessment: Royal Assent (pp 9-10) makes clear that the higher remuneration
	"reflects the need to recruit a person of sufficient calibre to carry out this challenging role. Recruitment for the IPC's Deputy Chairs, remaining commissioners and CEO will be carried out during 2009. We envisage advertising these roles on ranges broadly consistent with the estimates given the original Impact Assessment. This change falls within the assumed error margin, and the overall assumptions originally made about the cost and size of the IPC and its Secretariat remain valid, and are the best current estimate of size and cost."

Internet: Advisory Services

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings she has had with the Power of Information Task Force to discuss its work.

Sadiq Khan: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no such meetings.

Mobile Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions park homes site licences have been revoked as a result of breaches of the provisions of the Mobile Homes Act 1983 on the part of the site owner in the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: A site licence may only be revoked if there have been two or more breaches of conditions in the licence. Section 5 of the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 specifies the types of conditions that a local authority can attach to a site licence. That power does not extend to attaching a condition relating to the compliance by the licence holder with the provisions in the Mobile Homes Act 1983. Therefore, no local authority in England would be able to revoke a licence because of a breach of that Act.

Mobile Homes

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what restrictions are placed on the owners of park home sites on their exclusive supply of bottled gas to site occupants; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: There are no restrictions placed on the owners of park home sites on their supply of bottled gas to site occupants.

Mobile Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress her Department has made on proposals contained in the consultation paper, "A New Approach for Resolving Disputes and to Proceedings Relating to Park Homes" under the Mobile Homes Act 1983.

Iain Wright: My Department is currently studying the responses received to the proposals and I intend to announce the way forward shortly.

Mobile Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to revise the booklet, "Mobile Homes: A Guide for Residents and Site Owners", published by her Department in 2000.

Iain Wright: We are shortly publishing a series of park home fact sheets that will be helpful to residents and site owners. They will cover:
	Pitch fees and other charges;
	Selling a park home;
	Qualifying residents' associations; and
	Residents' rights and obligations.
	Therefore we have no plans to revise the booklet, "Mobile Homes: A Guide for Residents and Site Owners".

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the number of home repossessions which have not taken place as a result of support provided by the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme;
	(2)  how many people have deferred their mortgage interest payments under the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.

Margaret Beckett: We expect the Homeowners Mortgage Support Scheme to be open for business with the first lenders in April now that the Banking Act 2009, which is the legislative vehicle we have used to enable us to do this, has gained Royal Assent (on 12 February). The draft Master Guarantee is currently with lenders. We will publish a full impact assessment when the Master Guarantee Deed has been finalised.

Ordnance Survey: Finance

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what financial return on ordinary activities was expected from Ordnance Survey in the year ending July 2008.

Iain Wright: The financial target for the year ended 31 March 2008 was derived from the three-year target for 2004-05 to 2007-08 set down in the Ordnance Survey Framework Document 2004. This target was to achieve no less than 5.5 per cent. per annum return on capital employed ("ROCE"), averaged over a three-year period, with the return defined as surplus on ordinary activities before interest and dividends.
	The target figure for ROCE for the year ended 31 March 2009 was increased to a return of not less than 6 per cent.

Ordnance Survey: Visits Abroad

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the ministerial correction of 29 January 2009,  Official Report, columns 3-6MC, on Ordnance Survey: visits abroad, what the purpose was of each foreign visit listed.

Iain Wright: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 5 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1436W. The table showing the countries and cities visited by Ordnance Survey in the time period specified along with the purpose for each visit, which was deposited in the Library in response to that question, includes all of the destinations identified in the ministerial correction of 29 January 2009.
	In some cases the location listed was an intermediate business stop during a longer journey to other listed destinations.

Planning

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the revised version of planning policy statement 4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Development.

Iain Wright: We plan to publish the Government's revised Planning Policy Statement later in the spring.

Playgrounds

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on their provision of play areas.

Iain Wright: No recent discussions have been held with local authorities on their provision of play areas. However, the Department of Communities and Local Government's Chief Planning Officer wrote to the Chief Planning Officer of every local authority in December 2008 to draw their attention to the newly published Play Strategy for England, and to set out the role Government would like them to take in supporting its local delivery.

Regional Assemblies

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the formal termination of regional assemblies.

Iain Wright: Government are repealing any legislation relevant to the assemblies as part of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill, which is currently before Parliament and on commencement of that Bill would cease funding any remaining regional assemblies. However, as regional assemblies are constituted by their membership, it is the membership who must decide when they will formally terminate the assembly. The assemblies in the north west and south east regions have already formally terminated themselves.

Regional Development Agencies

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers regional development agencies will have in respect of local planning authorities' local development frameworks when the new regional strategies are implemented.

Iain Wright: The regional development agencies will have no new powers in respect of local planning authorities' local development frameworks when the new arrangements for single regional strategies are implemented. In accordance with existing regulations in the Town & Country Planning (Local Development) (England) Regulations 2004 (Statutory Instrument 2204) the local authority is already required to consult the RDAs whose areas are in or adjoin that of the LPA during the preparation of a local development framework.

Regional Planning and Development

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether European Regional Development Funds may be drawn upon for road improvement schemes.

John Healey: The overarching priorities of the English ERDF programmes are to improve regional competitiveness and create jobs. Below these, it is for each individual ERDF Operational Programme (OP) to define its priorities and objectives and describe the types of projects it will support.

Regional Planning and Development: EC Grants and Loans

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her most recent estimate is of the average cost of fire and rescue service attendance at an incident.

Sadiq Khan: Estimates for 2004 suggests that the average cost in respect of attending an incident in England and Wales was £2,289.

Regional Spatial Strategies

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers she has to revoke regional spatial strategies once published.

Iain Wright: Under the terms of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 section 10(5) the Secretary of State may at any time revoke an RSS or such parts of an RSS as he or she thinks appropriate if the Secretary of State thinks it necessary or expedient to do so.

Rented Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the proposed percentage change in guideline rents in housing revenue account subsidy is for next year; and what the percentage change has been in each year since 1997.

Iain Wright: Housing Revenue Account Subsidy Determinations issued in previous years have not generally provided a percentage for the average national guideline rent increase over the previous year.
	The following table provides the average guideline rent increase calculated from figures issued in the 2009-10 determination, and the Department's assessments of average increases in previous years.
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2002-03 5.65 
			 2003-04 5.53 
			 2004-05 6.56 
			 2005-06 6.77 
			 2006-07 6.26 
			 2007-08 7.10 
			 2008-09 5.70 
			 2009-10 6.19 
		
	
	Guideline rents are calculated using the rent restructuring formula, a system which commenced in 2002-03.
	The Minister for Housing announced on 6 March that Communities and Local Government will shortly be consulting local authorities on a reduced national average guideline rent increase of 3.1 per cent. for 2009-10. This halves the existing national increase of 6.2 per cent. in recognition of the current difficult economic times.

Sleeping Rough

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what methods are used by local authorities to make estimates of numbers of rough sleepers where street counts have not taken place.

Iain Wright: As part of the new rough sleeping strategy 'No-one left out' we are clarifying some issues around the counts and bringing in changes that will enable more in-depth reporting of the level and nature of need in different areas.
	We are making it clear that the headline figure is not an estimate but the total of the actual counts undertaken during the year.

Social Rented Housing: Construction

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's target is for the number of housing units for social tenants to be built over the next five years.

Iain Wright: The Government's aspiration is to provide 70,000 affordable homes per year by 2010-11 of which 45,000 are expected to be for social rent. Future targets will be set as part of the next spending review.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which trade unions are recognised in her Department.

Sadiq Khan: The following trade unions are officially recognised by the Department and its agencies to represent members of staff: the FDA, Prospect, and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
	In addition, the Fire Service College, an Executive Agency of the Department, also recognises the General Municipal and Boilermakers Union (GMB) and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU).

Waste Management

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the presentation and handouts produced by the Audit Commission's Director of Studies on the challenges for municipal waste management for the Waste Management Finance Forum on 22 January 2009.

Sadiq Khan: A copy of the presentation to the Waste Management Finance Forum in January 2009 by the Audit Commission's Director of Studies has been placed in the Library.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: The Department for Work and Pensions does not set a separate budget for entertainment.
	Any expenditure which is incurred on entertainment has to be made in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury Handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	Such hospitality is normally only extended by Ministers, chief executives or executive members of the departmental board (DB).

Departmental Pay

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much each Minister who has left his Department since May 1997 received in severance pay.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, details of individual severance payments are not disclosed in order to protect the privacy of the individual concerned.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether claimants of the planned treatment allowance will be required to prove that they are not taking crack or heroin as a condition of receiving the allowance.

Tony McNulty: The measures included in the Welfare Reform Bill currently before Parliament, including the planned treatment allowance, are intended to support problem drug users and help them return to work. Claimants will not be required to be clean to receive treatment allowance but will be required to take steps to address their drug problem as a condition of receiving benefits.

Income Support: Lone Parents

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of lone parents with children aged  (a) under three,  (b) three to six and  (c) over six years old will be moved from income support on to jobseeker's allowance; and when such moves will take place.

Kitty Ussher: In the White Paper, "Raising Expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future" (Cm 7506, published in December 2008), we said that the next natural step towards a simplified benefit system should be the abolition of income support which would take us to a dual-benefits system based around jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance.
	Provisions to enable this are included in the current Welfare Reform Bill. Subject to the passage of this legislation and as resources allow, we will consider further the timeframe for taking forward income support abolition.
	There are currently around 460,000 lone parents on income support with a youngest child aged less than seven, around 230,000 with a youngest child aged nought to two, and around 230,000 with a youngest child aged three to six. We are unable to predict accurately how many lone parents may move from income support to jobseeker's allowance when income support is abolished. Even in the case when income support is abolished there are no plans to require single parents with children under 7 to take up employment, even if they are receiving jobseeker's allowance.
	As a result of the provisions of the Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous) Regulations 2008, lone parents with a child aged seven or over will no longer be able to claim income support solely on the grounds of being a lone parent.
	Based on internal analysis carried out for departmental planning purposes, it has been estimated that around 45 per cent. of lone parents with older children moved off income support as part of these changes will make a claim for jobseeker's allowance. Others may apply for appropriate benefits such as employment and support allowance.
	The following table shows the number of lone parents with older children on income support who we expect to apply for jobseeker's allowance in each quarter to May 2011.
	
		
			  Quarter ending  Number of lone parents moving from income support to jobseeker's allowance 
			  2009  
			 May 23,200 
			 August 9,200 
			 November 16,500 
			  2010  
			 February 11,150 
			 May 14,900 
			 August 18,700 
			 November 6,600 
			  2011  
			 February 35,300 
			 May 17,700 
			  Notes: 1. Figures based on internal assumptions and analysis of DWP administrative data. 2. Figures rounded to the nearest 50. 3. Existing claimants with children aged 14-15 will begin to be moved off income support from March 2009. Existing claimants with children aged seven to eight will have their entitlement ended between January and April 2011. 4. The total number of lone parents moved from income support to jobseeker's allowance exceeds the number of lone parents with children aged seven and over currently on income support as it includes lone parents with younger children who reach age seven over the period. 5. There will be a continuing number of lone parents moved off income support and on to jobseeker's allowance after May 2011 resulting from those on income support whose children reach age seven.

Official Cars

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what cars are  (a) owned,  (b) leased,  (c) hired and  (d) otherwise regularly used by his Department, broken down by cubic capacity of engine.

Jonathan R Shaw: The information requested about  (a) owned  (b) leased and  (c) hired cars is provided in the following table.
	In relation to  (d) cars otherwise regularly used, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009,  Official Report, column 10W, about cars provided by the Government Car and Despatch Agency.
	
		
			  Capacity (cc)  (a)  Owned  (b)  Leased( 1)  (c)  Hired( 2) 
			 1.0 to 1.3 0 92 2,300 
			 1.4 and 1.5 0 308 6,464 
			 1.6 and 1.7 0 1,344 9,260 
			 1.7 upwards 0 1,239 3,420 
			 Undefined 0 10 273 
			 Total 0 2,993 21,717 
			 (1 )The figures provided in the table on leased cars represent the number of cars leased in the period April 2008 to 21 January 2009. (2) Car hire figures cover the period April to November 2008, the most recent month for which figures are available.

Pension Credit

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of pension credit claimants have been  (a) overpaid and  (b) underpaid (i) once, (ii) twice, (iii) three times and (iv) four times or more since their claims began.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Published information on fraud and error in the benefit system is available for download from:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd2/fraud_error.asp

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to inform pensioners about the Government support to which they are entitled.

Rosie Winterton: We are making every effort to ensure that people are aware of and claim their entitlement. The Pension, Disability and Carers Service will continue to promote take-up of benefits by those entitled through: data matching to identify eligible non-recipients, home visits for vulnerable customers, a simple claim process, targeted regional marketing and media campaigns and ever closer working with partner organisations.

Winter Fuel Payments: Kingston Upon Thames

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames  (a) who reached the age of 80 in 2008 and  (b) in total have not qualified for winter fuel payments because their birthday was later than 15 September 2008.

Rosie Winterton: Winter fuel payments of £250 are available to individuals who are aged 60 or over by the set qualifying week (15-21 September for winter 2008-09). Where an individual is aged 80 or over in this qualifying week, they may be eligible to receive an amount of £400 for 2008-09.
	Information regarding the number of people in the boroughs of Richmond-upon-Thames and Kingston-upon-Thames who have not qualified for the higher payment of £400 due to their 80th birthday being later than the week commencing 15 September, is not available. I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave on 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 790W. This answer gives information about the position in Great Britain.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has received representations from the Government of Pakistan on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles flying out of Afghanistan into Pakistani airspace to fire missiles at targets within Pakistan in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: The Government of Pakistan has raised the issue with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that allegations over US unmanned aerial vehicles flying in Pakistani airspace is a matter that should be discussed between the US and Pakistani Governments.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who attended the London conference on combating anti-Semitism; if he will place in the Library the report produced by the conference; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: More than 200 overseas parliamentarians and experts attended the London Conference on combating anti-Semitism, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (ICCA) and co-hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). We have asked the ICCA to place a copy of the final declaration in the House of Commons Library. The FCO was pleased to co-host the second day of this successful conference and looks forward to working with participants to take forward strategies to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what records his Department holds on reports of anti-Semitism in other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posts report on anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination overseas. Details of these are published in the FCO Annual Report on Human Rights. We condemn anti-Semitism wherever and whenever it occurs and are working with the International Coalition Combating Anti-Semitism to monitor and tackle anti-Semitism in the UK and overseas.

BBC World Service

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria were used to determine the specification of countries where there is an absence of free and independent media for the purposes of the 2007 Operational Agreement with the BBC World Service.

Caroline Flint: The Operating Agreement, which came into effect for the first time in 2007 following the establishment of the BBC Trust, is between the BBC World Service and the BBC Trust. It is not the document governing the relationship between the BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The FCO was therefore not involved in deciding on criteria used to determine the specification of countries within this document.

BBC World Service

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the management of the BBC World Service on its features programming in its broadcasts across its vernacular services.

Caroline Flint: The content of programming is a decision for the BBC World Service as it has complete editorial independence. The BBC World Service updates the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on any significant changes to its features programming in the regular review meetings between the BBC World Service and the FCO.

British Overseas Territories: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to investigate the funding requirements for conservation and ecosystem management in the British Overseas Territories.

Gillian Merron: The Inter Departmental Ministerial Group on Biodiversity, attended by Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Department for International Development Ministers, with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) observing, recently tasked the JNCC to produce a strategy paper for the Government's engagement on biodiversity issues in the overseas territories. The strategy paper will address funding requirements for conservation and ecosystem management in the overseas territories and will include a recommended multi-year programme of expenditure.

British Virgin Islands: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what endangered flora and fauna are indigenous to the British Virgin Islands.

Gillian Merron: The International Union for Conservation of Nature red-list identifies the indigenous flora and fauna of the British Virgin Islands, listed in the following table, to be endangered.
	
		
			  Scientific name  Common name 
			 Anolis roosevelti Culebra Island Giant Anole, Roosevelt's Giant Anole 
			 Cyclura pinguis Anegada Ground Iguana, Anegada Island Iguana, Anegada Rock Iguana 
			 Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback, Leathery Turtle, Luth, Trunkback Turtle 
			 Epinephelus itajara Goliath Grouper, Jewfish 
			 Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill Turtle 
			 Calyptranthes kiaerskovii None 
			 Acacia anegadensis Pokemeboy 
			 Cordia rupicola None 
			 Machaonia woodburyana None 
			 Metastelma anegadense None 
			 Leptocereus quadricostatus Sebucan 
			 Bufo lemur Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Puerto Rican Toad 
			 Caretta caretta Loggerhead 
			 Chelonia mydas Green Turtle 
			 Epinephelus striatus Nassau Grouper 
			 Maytenus cymosa Caribbean Mayten 
			 Guaiacum officinale Commoner Lignum Vitae, Guaiac Tree 
			 Calyptranthes thomasiana Thomas' Lidflower 
			 Zanthoxylum thomasianum St. Thomas Prickly-Ash 
			 Eleutherodactylus schwartzi Virgin Islands Coqui

Burma: Ethnic Groups

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Burmese authorities on the treatment of the Karen people.

Bill Rammell: The regular reports of human rights abuses in Karen state, in particular in areas where conflict causes continuous fear and suffering, are deplorable and highlight the need for a comprehensive and just settlement of Burma's ethnic conflicts that will support an enduring peace.
	Our ambassador in Rangoon regularly raises with the Burmese regime the need for the full and fair participation of ethnic nationalities in the political process and for a fair peace settlement that would bring an end to the conflict. Our ambassador calls on the Burmese regime to work with the UN, including the International Labour Organisation and the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, to investigate abuses. We also use every opportunity to raise the issue in the international arena, including the UN General Assembly.
	A just and inclusive political settlement lies at the core of a prosperous and peaceful future for all the peoples of Burma and there can be little prospect of national reconciliation without genuine recognition of political, economic and social rights of ethnic minority groups, including the Karen.

Cayman Islands: Crimes of Violence

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what incidents of violent crime took place on the Cayman Islands in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) has provided the following statistics on incidents of violent crime for the period 2005-08 (the RCIPS keeps statistics for four years only):
	
		
			   Number 
			 2008 680 
			 2007 1,079 
			 2006 877 
			 2005 732

Cayman Islands: Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent steps have been taken to combat drug trafficking in the Cayman Islands.

Gillian Merron: There is a continued state of vigilance in the Cayman Islands, with increased co-operation and intelligence-sharing with regional police forces and security agencies in the US. The Royal Cayman Islands Police Service has enhanced its maritime assets with the procurement of a 65 foot all-purpose Defender patrol boat and two 38 foot fast interceptor vessels. A further 65 foot all-purpose vessel is expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Cayman Islands: National Income

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Cayman Islands gross domestic product per capita was in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The Cayman Islands Economics and Statistics Office has provided the following statistics on gross domestic product per capita for the period 2003-07, which are the most recent figures available:
	
		
			   CI$ 
			 2007 40,200 
			 2006 39,100 
			 2005 39,900 
			 2004 38,100 
			 2003 36,800 
		
	
	The current £/CI$ exchange rate is 0.86.

Cayman Islands: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what endangered species there are in the Cayman Islands; and what steps are being taken to promote conservation and preserve levels of biodiversity there.

Gillian Merron: The International Union for Conservation of Nature has identified the species listed in the following table, which are found in the Cayman Islands, as endangered species. The management and protection of the environment has been devolved to the individual Overseas Territories. However, we recognise that there are capacity limitations in the Overseas Territories and that they need help to address conservation issues. The Government support the Overseas Territories by providing funding through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, a joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development funded programme, and through the Darwin Initiative, a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs funded programme, to encourage the conservation and preservation of biodiversity in the Cayman Islands.
	
		
			  Scientific names  Common names 
			 Cerion nanus None 
			 Dermochelys coriacea Leatherback, leathery turtle, luth, trunkback turtle 
			 Epinephelus itajara Goliath grouper, jewfish 
			 Eretmochelys imbricata Hawksbill turtle 
			 Cyclura lewisi Cayman Island ground iguana, Grand Cayman blue iguana, Grand Cayman iguana 
			 Caretta caretta Loggerhead 
			 Chelonia mydas Green turtle 
			 Epinephelus striatus Nassau grouper 
			 Pterodroma hasitata Black-capped petrel 
			 Swietenia mahagoni American mahogany, Cuban mahogany, small-leaved mahogany, West Indian mahogany

China: Press Freedom

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he gave to designating  (a) China and  (b) Russia as countries where there is an absence of free and independent media for the purposes of his Department's 2007 operational agreement with the BBC World Service.

Caroline Flint: In the operating agreement, signed between the BBC World Service and BBC Trust (not an agreement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office), China and Russia are included as
	'developing markets in which the BBC World Service should provide international and regional news, complementing local broadcasters, targeting opinion formers and decision makers in English and local languages'.
	The extent to which free and independent media exist in a country is always taken into consideration.

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost as a result of such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Gillian Merron: The number of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff recorded as absent due to non-medical reasons on 2 and 3 February 2009 is as follows:
	2 February 200—157 officers
	3 February 2009—116 officers
	These figures are for UK civil servants only and include staff on pre-approved annual leave, administrative leave and special paid leave. The figures exclude any officers who were absent on the dates specified due to certified or uncertified sick leave, special unpaid leave or maternity leave.
	In the event of adverse weather and disruption to transport, we expect staff to make every effort to attend their normal place of work where it is safe to do so (taking account of advice from the emergency services). When severe weather prevents staff travelling to work, we expect them to discuss the following options with their line managers:
	working at another FCO site
	working from home
	if working flexi-time, recording some or all of the time as flexi leave
	if not working flexi-time, making up the hours (e.g. staggered hours)
	taking annual leave for the period of non-attendance.

Departmental Finance

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the budget for his Department's Tactical Delivery Fund is for 2008-09; what the proposed budget is for 2009-10; how many projects were supported by the fund in 2008-09; what type of projects may be financed through the fund; and which projects in the USA have been supported by the fund in 2008-09, broken down by  (a) subject matter,  (b) location and  (c) cost.

Gillian Merron: The 2008-2009 budget for the Tactical Delivery Fund is £350,000. The budget for 2009-2010 has not yet been finalised. At the end of February 2009 23 projects have been supported by the fund in 2008-2009.
	The Tactical Delivery Fund supports the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Strategic Objective "promoting a low carbon, high growth global economy." Projects included funding or part funding visits by UK experts overseas and by overseas policy makers to the UK, reports, seminars and other small scale public diplomacy.
	The Tactical Delivery Fund has not been used to fund projects in the US in 2008-09.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) from January to July 2008.

Gillian Merron: The available statistical information regarding freedom of information requests received by Departments can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformation quarterly.htm

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Of the 159,791 letters sent by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the last 12 months, 158,591 (99.25 per cent.) were given to the Royal Mail and 1,200 (0.75 per cent.) were given to another postal service supplier.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East, (James Duddridge) of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 219-20W, on departmental public relations, in what area of work the external public relations firms were engaged; and for what reasons in-house communications staff were not used in each instance.

Gillian Merron: Public relations firms were engaged in providing professional services such as project implementation, engaging with local media contacts and providing local market expertise. These services are used to enhance existing resources.
	Hill and Knowlton provide such services to UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) across the Asia-Pacific region to promote the UK as an inward investment location. In the financial year 2007-08, UKTI calculated that for every £1 spent £8 in PR value was generated for the British economy.
	Lexis Public Relations were used in the United States. These projects supported British business overseas in the US and established the UK as a high value destination for direct foreign investment.
	Trimedia are a local Moroccan newspaper used to advertise a local job at our embassy in Rabat in 2006.

Departmental Travel Information

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how frequently his Department  (a) reviews and  (b) updates its travel advice to British citizens.

Gillian Merron: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice is reviewed on a monthly basis and is updated following any incident that might affect British nationals travelling or living in the affected area.
	It is revised and re-issued at least every three months (or monthly for countries with travel warnings) and can be updated as often as necessary in a developing crisis.

Economic and Monetary Union

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library the most recent version of his Department's euro changeover plan.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's euro conversion plan is dated November 2004. The most recent review was in April 2007.
	The plan has been made available to members of the public in response to specific requests. A copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Foreign Policy

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1527W, on international relations, for what reasons he did not provide the information requested in the question; and if he will now do so.

David Miliband: We are constantly expanding our dialogue on international institutions with a range of countries, not least because of the London summit. The original list of countries has been overtaken as part of our expanding dialogue.

Freedom of Information

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests to his Department have been refused on the ground of cost; and how many such refusals have subsequently been reversed following agreement that the person making the request meet those costs in  (a) 2006,  (b) 2007 and  (c) up to July 2008.

Gillian Merron: Quarterly and annual statistics on Freedom of Information (FOI) are published by the Ministry of Justice on their website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformation quarterly.htm.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) applied Section 12 of the FOI Act to 119 requests in 2006, 215 requests in 2007 and 93 requests between 1 January 2008 and 30 June 2008 on grounds of cost.
	No requests have been processed upon receipt of a payment for the costs. However, where a request is refused on grounds of cost, the FCO encourages requesters to refine their request so that a response could be provided within the cost limit.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department has budgeted for hospitality to be provided to  (a) Secretaries of State and Ministers,  (b) civil servants,  (c) special advisers, ( d) foreign heads of state and government and  (e) ministers of foreign Governments at the G20 summit in London in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to use stocks of  (a) champagne,  (b) white wine,  (c) red wine,  (d) beer and  (e) spirits from the Government Wine Cellar for the G20 summit in London in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: Stocks from the Government Hospitality wine cellar will be used as part of the hospitality offered to visiting participants during the London Summit in April 2009. No decisions have yet been taken as to which items might be served.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which external consultancies his Department has engaged to advise on the G20 Summit in London in April 2009; and what the value of the contract is in each case.

Gillian Merron: External consultancies engaged to advise on the G20 in April 2009 are as follows:
	Feltech/MRG, an event production company, has been hired to help stage the Summit. The contract is worth £5,941,597, excluding VAT.
	Start Creative, an external design agency was procured via the Central Office of Information (COI). The contract is worth £40,550 excluding VAT but includes COI fees.
	A Project Co-ordinator and two events delivery co-ordinators have been hired from PA Consulting. The predicted cost to 2 April 2009 is £194,750.
	A content developer/writer has also been engaged via COI GovGap. The predicted cost to 2 April 2009 is £27,168.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on designing the logo for the G20 Summit in London in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: The development of the London Summit logo and the creation of the original globe image to overcome copyright issues cost £6,000.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the cost of  (a) establishing and  (b) operating the website www.londonsummit.gov.uk.

Gillian Merron: There was no additional cost establishing the London Summit website as it was built on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's existing web platform using existing staff resources.
	The London Summit website is updated using existing staff resources seconded from other projects at no additional cost.
	We have employed two moderating editors with a background in economics and journalism to assist us with generating and moderating content for the London Summit website. The cost of employing them until 2 April 2009 will be £51,318.75.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which foreign heads of state are expected to visit locations in Britain other than those of the G20 Summit in London in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: Heads of State have been invited primarily to attend the London Summit on 2 April 2009. President Calderon of Mexico will attend the London Summit during the Mexican State Visit. He is also due to visit Scotland as part of this visit. We are not aware of any other bilateral programmes being undertaken by London Summit participants outside of the Summit programme.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of hospitality for the G20 Summit for  (a) the Prime Minister,  (b) Secretaries of State and Ministers,  (c) civil servants,  (d) special advisers,  (e) foreign heads of state and  (f) ministers of foreign Governments.

Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what types of alcoholic drinks will be made available at the G20 Summit in London in April 2009; and what the budget is for each type of alcoholic drink.

Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.

Group of Twenty: London Summit

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate has been made of the cost of dinners for heads of state and government at the G20 summit in London in April 2009.

Gillian Merron: The planning for the London Summit in April 2009 is still being formulated. Any hospitality offered by the Government during the Summit will be commensurate with the nature of the occasion.

Guantanamo Bay: Detainees

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has  (a) received representations from and  (b) held discussions with the Government of Ethiopia on the Guantanamo detainee Mr Binyam Mohamed; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: We have not received any representations from the Government of Ethiopia on Mr. Binyam Mohamed's case. We informed the Government of Ethiopia in August 2007 of our decision to seek Mr. Mohamed's release and return to the UK. We have sought to keep the Government of Ethiopia informed on developments in his case.

International Organisations: Finance

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in respect of which international organisations the United Kingdom's subscriptions are paid from the budget of his Department; and how much was paid in subscription to each such organisation in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The published Resource Accounts of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provide this information on an annual basis, identifying individual organisations where subscriptions exceed one million pounds per annum. Identifying individual subscriptions paid to international organisations under one million pounds per annum would incur a disproportionate cost. A summary of the information for the last five complete financial years is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
			  International organisation  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 UN Regular Budget 48,457 53,104 57,610 79,201 70,061 
			 Other UN contributions 1,705 2,077 1,858 2,174 2,321 
			 Council of Europe 17,576 18,091 L 18,660 19,018 19,620 
			 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 18,523 17,154 18,611 18,355 20,962 
			 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 11,220 8,751 12,249 15,628 12,826 
			 Commonwealth Secretariat 3,503 3,606 4,504 5,153 3,435 
			 Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe 0 0 0 2,804 3,223 
			 Others 4,049 3,609 2,447 1,323 2,215 
			   
			 Total subscriptions 105,033 106,392 115,939 143,656 134,663

Iran: Foreign Relations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the statement by the UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations broadcast on 21 February on the responsibility of the Iranian government for the deaths of British service personnel in Iraq, what representations were made to the Iranian government at the time this knowledge came into the possession of the British Government; what other actions were  (a) considered and  (b) implemented at the time; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We have been aware for some time of Iranian interference in Iraq and in particular Iran's provision of lethal aid to Iraqi militia groups. We have evidence to suggest that a significant proportion of the equipment and armaments used by insurgents against our forces in Iraq was of Iranian origin, or had been transited through Iran.
	As Iraq's neighbour Iran should have an important role in helping to build a stable and secure Iraq, but instead Iran is undermining stability by supplying weapons, funding and training to militia groups and through political interference and bribery. This action only serves to undermine security in Iraq and should not be tolerated. Both the Government and the Iraqi Government have raised Iranian interference in Iraq with the Iranian authorities on many occasions. We and the Government of Iraq will continue to send strong messages that it is not in Iran's interest to destabilise southern Iraq.

Kurdistan Workers Party

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the Kurdistan Workers Party on the situation in Turkey.

Caroline Flint: None. The Kurdistan Workers Party (also known as PKK, Kongra Gel, KGK and Kadek) is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK and the EU. The UK rejects the use of violence and terrorism to achieve political aims.
	The UK encourages Turkey to implement a comprehensive package to address the economic, political and social situation of its people in the South East of Turkey.

Russia: Press Freedom

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how frequently he meets managers at the BBC World Service; at how many such meetings the political and media environment in Russia has been discussed; and what information his Department provides to the BBC World Service on developments in such environments.

Caroline Flint: The BBC World Service and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have a formal cycle of business meetings, which include quarterly meetings between the FCO Director of Communications and the Director, BBC World Service; a programme of regional reviews; an annual meeting between the BBC chairman and the FCO Minister responsible for public diplomacy; and quarterly public diplomacy Board meetings; as well as informal day to day contact. The political and media environment in Russia has been discussed at a number of these meetings.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the military capability of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Bill Rammell: Due to the ongoing military hostilities and the lack of independent information emerging from northern Sri Lanka, it is difficult to obtain accurate information on the current capabilities of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
	In a statement of 3 February 2009, the Tokyo Co-Chairs (EU, US, Japan and Norway) made clear their view that there remains probably only a short period of time before the LTTE loses control of all areas in the north.
	We remain seriously concerned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka and the impact on civilians.

Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the reported bombardment of designated safe zones in the Mullaitivu district by the Government of Sri Lanka in relation to international humanitarian law.

Bill Rammell: The on-going military hostilities and the lack of independent information make it difficult to verify reports coming from the conflict in northern Sri Lanka. In a joint statement of 3 February 2009 with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary urged all parties not to fire into or out of the "safe zone". As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear, we condemn the killing of civilians in the strongest possible terms and have urged all parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka to adhere to international humanitarian law and to take action to avoid civilian casualties.

St Helena: Visits Abroad

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the most recent occasion was on which a Government Minister visited the territory of St. Helena; and when a ministerial visit will next take place.

Gillian Merron: We are not aware of any ministerial visits to St. Helena in recent times and there are currently no plans for such a visit to take place. St. Helena is only accessible by sea with travel to and from London taking a minimum of fourteen days.

Torture

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 17 July 2008,  Official Report, columns 682-23W, on British nationality: torture, what consideration his Department has given to breaking down collated data into specific details of alleged mistreatment; and what consideration his Department has given to collating records prior to April 2005.

Gillian Merron: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have considered keeping statistics for different types of mistreatment. However in view of the wide range of allegations and the difficulties in classifying individual incidents it was concluded that this exercise would not add meaningful value to the records already held.
	Given that no records were collated prior to 1 April 2005 examining the large number of individual case files to collate records would incur a disproportionate cost.

Turkey: Human Rights

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Turkey on Turkish compliance with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Varnava and others on persons who disappeared following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not raised any missing persons cases recently with his Turkish interlocutors.
	The Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus carries out important humanitarian work, identifying and returning the remains of those who lost their lives during this period. We attach great importance to its work and welcome the progress of the committee since its launch in August 2006. The UK contributes to the funding of the programme annually through the EU and through bilateral donations.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Politics and Government

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the political situation in the Turks and Caicos Islands; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: On 28 February 2009 Sir Robin Auld, who is leading the Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption and other serious dishonesty in relation to members of the Turks and Caicos Islands House of Assembly, submitted an interim report to the Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
	The interim report is wide ranging and the Governor has said he will need time to reflect on the recommendations and consult UK Ministers before he can make an announcement. He expects this process to take around three weeks.

WALES

Departmental Detergents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by his Department have been tested on animals.

Paul Murphy: No cleaning products, or ingredients contained within them, used in my Department have been tested on animals.

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997.

Paul Murphy: The cost of newspapers, magazines and periodicals is recorded alongside the cost of all publications and could not be identified separately.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost to his Department was of travel by train by its staff in each year since 1997.

Paul Murphy: Having to support all functions from offices in both Cardiff and London, the Wales Office incurs considerable travelling costs. The figures requested are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2004-05 88,613 
			 2005-06 112,003 
			 2006-07 99,253 
			 2007-08 129,763 
		
	
	We do not hold the details requested for previous years.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent by his Department on staff surveys in 2008; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Paul Murphy: During 2008 the Wales Office participated in one staff opinion survey undertaken by the Ministry of Justice.
	There was no cost to the Wales Office.

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what expenditure has been incurred by his Department on  (a) opinion polling,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other forms of market research in each year since 1997; what such surveys were commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Paul Murphy: My Department has not conducted any opinion polling, focus groups or market research since 1999.

Trade Unions

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which trade unions are recognised in his Department.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office recognises the following trade unions:
	PCS (the Public and Commercial Services Union); and
	FDA (the First Division Association).

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what changes have been made to the estimates of UK carbon dioxide emissions for each year from 1990 to 2006 as a result of the methodological changes that have been adopted since January 2008.

Joan Ruddock: The 1990-2007 inventory is the latest UK inventory that considers methodological changes in CO2 emission estimates adopted since January 2008. There have been no major methodological changes affecting CO2 emission estimates in this inventory. Small changes in the CO2 inventory have occurred due to changes in reported energy statistics presented in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics and also as a result of introducing EU Emissions Trading Scheme carbon emission factors for some fuels burnt in power stations and refineries. The 1990-2007 inventory will be formally reported to the Framework Convention on Climate Change on 15 April 2009, after which the inventory report, which contains detailed explanations of methodologies, will be available.

Energy: Advisory Services

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many one-stop advice centres have been set-up through the Energy Saving Trust; and how many people have used each.

Joan Ruddock: The Energy Saving Trust has just begun running a nationwide network of 21 regional Energy Saving Trust Advice Centres (ESTACs). The centres were set up last year with the final advice centre opening in December 2008. The regional advice centres provide a one-stop shop offering consumers a range of free and impartial advice on how to reduce their carbon footprint including energy efficiency, microgeneration and renewable energy, low carbon transport, water efficiency and waste reduction and a range of independent services that will help them action that advice.
	The Energy Saving Trust has provided the following table to show the number of customer contacts each centre has had since it opened. This is any interaction where a customer has been provided with advice, which includes all in-bound and outbound calls, responses to Home Energy Checks (HEC) and outreach events. The ESTACs replace the Energy Efficiency Advice Centres (EEAC) which ceased operating once an ESTAC opened up in their region.
	These figures are for the early stages of the ESTACs. Once the ESTACs are fully up in running they will be supporting over one million customers annually.
	
		
			  Regional breakdown of customer contacts April 2008 to December 2008 
			   Total 
			 Energy Efficiency Advice Centres 284,931 
			   
			 Energy Saving Trust Advice Centres  
			 Anglia(1) 43,803 
			 London 116,276 
			 North East 68,339 
			 Northern Ireland 52,624 
			 Wales 53,361 
			 North West 1 Merseyside and Cheshire 42,009 
			 North West 2 Greater Manchester 45,755 
			 West Midlands 17,171 
			 East Midlands 6,617 
			 North West 3 Cumbria and Lancs. 38,381 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 1 N Yorks 10,529 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 2 S and W Yorks. 33,098 
			 South West 17,129 
			 South East 1 Berks 24,763 
			 South East 2 Kent 32,617 
			 Eastern 1 Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge 8,125 
			 Eastern 2 Essex, Herts and Beds 5,938 
			 Total customer contacts 901,466 
			 (1) The advice centre in the Anglian region was replaced after a pilot in October 2008 by the Eastern 1 region.

Energy: Public Sector

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans his Department has to promote energy efficiency in public sector buildings.

Mike O'Brien: There are a number of measures to promote energy efficiency in public sector buildings. The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is a mandatory carbon cap and trade scheme designed to improve energy efficiency in large, non-energy intensive organisations, including the public sector. It is intended that the CRC will operate from 2010 and achieve carbon reductions of at least 4MtCO2 by 2020.
	Performance indicators on climate change mitigation were included in the new local government performance framework which was introduced in April 2008. National Indicator (NI) 185, measures the reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide from local authority operations, including local authority owned and occupied buildings. All local authorities are obliged to report their performance against this indicator and 35 local area agreements include targets against the indicator.
	For central Government, the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets include a requirement for Departments to reduce their carbon emissions from offices by 12.5 per cent. by 2010 and 30 per cent. by 2020 relative to 1999-2000 levels.
	The Government funded Carbon Trust provides a range of services to promote energy efficiency in public sector buildings, in particular by working directly with public sector organisations to identify how they can improve energy efficiency across their operations.
	Salix Finance Ltd. is an independent, publicly funded company set up by the Carbon Trust to accelerate public sector investment in energy efficiency technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy bills.

EU Emissions Trading Scheme

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which modelling and datasets his Department uses to assess the likely effects on carbon prices of including forest credits in the EU emissions trading scheme; and what recent assessment he has made of such likely effects.

Joan Ruddock: Forestry credits are not currently included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The future provisions for land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) in a future climate agreement will be negotiated in Copenhagen in December 2009. In the event that an agreement is reached, the European Commission is required to assess the case for inclusion of LULUCF, including avoided deforestation, in the EU ETS.
	Before forestry credits could be included in the EU ETS further understanding will be required of the effect of inclusion on the carbon price. Modelling commissioned by the independent Eliasch Review has helped to inform Government policy on assessing the likely effects on carbon prices of including forest credits in the EU ETS, and future carbon market scenarios.
	The core scenario modelled for the review used DECC's EU ETS Model combined with the UK Office of Climate Change's Global Carbon Finance (GLOCAF) model (which in turn used the DIMA(1 )and GCOMAP(2) models for the underlying forestry emissions and costs data). The Government continue to monitor the variables that will affect the decision on inclusion.
	(1) Dynamic Integrated Model of Forestry and Alternative Land Use (held by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis—NASA).
	(2) Generalized Comprehensive Mitigation Assessment Process (held by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory).

Government Departments: Microgeneration

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much energy used by the Government estate is produced onsite by  (a) micro-renewables and  (b) combined heat and power generation.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 4 March 2009
	A number of Departments have already reported plans to install on-site generation technologies, some of which include microgeneration technologies. For example, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will be installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels; the Department for International Development are undertaking two projects—a wind turbine and a biomass installation; the Department for Work and Pensions plan to install a wind turbine; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have plans for a biomass project and a wind turbine project; and HM Revenue and Customs plan a mixture of biomass and wind turbine projects.
	DECC also plans to consider options for microgeneration on its own estate, as part of a wider strategy to improve the energy efficiency and wider sustainability of the Department.
	The current number of installations of onsite energy technologies is similar to that in 2007 when three Departments had renewable energy sources on-site. At that time, DEFRA generated 67MWhrs per year from solar thermal water heating. The Insolvency Service headquarters in London used a photovoltaic (PV) system which produces on average 9.1 kWhs a day and the MoD produced small amounts of renewable energy from off grid wind turbines/PV panels.
	There are 10 combined heat and power (CHP) schemes located on the Government estate registered with the Government's CHP quality assurance programme (CHPQA). In 2007-08 these 10 schemes produced just over 19 gigawatt hours of good quality CHP electricity. This represents around 0.1 per cent. of the 28,677 gigawatts electricity produced in total by good quality CHP plants in the UK in 2007. The Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report indicates that total CHP generated electricity consumed on the Government estate in 2007-08 was 311 gigawatt hours. 19 gigawatt hours of good quality CHP electricity generated on the Government estate represents around 6 per cent. of the total CHP electricity consumed on the Government estate in 2007-08.

National Home Energy Programme

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what period extra funding from energy companies and generators for the National Home Energy Programme will be provided.

Joan Ruddock: The Government's consultation package launched on 12 February proposes that the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target should be extended through to December 2012 (on which the Government would undertake a formal consultation), with the new Community Energy Saving Programme also running until this date.

Natural Gas: Prices

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average cost of an  (a) 11kg,  (b) 12.7kg,  (c) 18kg,  (d) 19kg and  (e) 47kg propane gas cylinder in each quarter of the last five years.

Joan Ruddock: DECC do not collect or publish prices of propane gas cylinders.
	Data on average prices for propane for domestic use are collected in the Retail Prices Index by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Warm Front Scheme

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households eligible to receive assistance under the Warm Front scheme.

Joan Ruddock: Warm Front assistance is available to vulnerable households living in private sector accommodation in England, and who are in receipt of a qualifying income or disability related benefit.
	In 2006, the last year for which figures are available, it is estimated that there were 3.3 million households eligible for Warm Front assistance.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Departmental Recruitment

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new recruits his Department took on in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07,  (c) 2007-08 and  (d) 2008-09, how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11.

Paul Goggins: Northern Ireland Office departmental reports show that:
	 (a) 200 civil servants were recruited in 2005;
	 (b) 163 in 2006; and
	 (c) 152 in 2007.
	As there is no difference in the terms and conditions of contract offered to both permanent and temporary staff, the published figures do not make a distinction in how the staff were recruited. The reports are available through the Northern Ireland Office's website.
	In 2008, 92 staff were recruited. This is broken down as follows:
	(i) 80 permanent staff and
	(ii) 12 temporary staff.
	No central records are kept of the number of staff recruited through agencies and there are no estimates available of equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11 therefore this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Tagging

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what effect he expects the introduction of electronic tagging to have on the number of  (a) remand and  (b) serving prisoners in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Electronic tagging to support the enforcement of curfews will be available to the courts as a condition of bail and as a licence condition for a range of custodial sentences from 1 April 2009.
	In bail cases, it will be for the judiciary to decide in each case whether the use of a curfew with an electronic tag as a bail condition could be an appropriate alternative to custody. The ability to incorporate a curfew and tag, in conjunction with other licence conditions, will inform decisions being made on the release of offenders on licence. Each decision will be made on a case by case basis and it is not possible to estimate with any certainty how many remand and serving prisoners will be affected.
	We have made provision for 500 electronic tags to be issued over the next two years.

BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM

Bankruptcy: Bexleyheath

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people have been declared bankrupt in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year since 2000.

Patrick McFadden: The following table shows the number of bankruptcy orders recorded in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in each year from 2000 to 2007. Figures are not yet available for 2008.
	
		
			  Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency 
			   Number 
			 2000 27 
			 2001 24 
			 2002 27 
			 2003 42 
			 2004 35 
			 2005 68 
			 2006 74 
			 2007 70 
			  Notes: 1. Classifying bankrupt individuals into administrative geographies is done using the postcode that the person provides. 2. Inaccurate or missing postcodes mean that the numbers in the above table will be subject to an element of missing data. Nationally, this proportion has been decreasing from about 12 per cent. in 2000 to less than 4 per cent. in 2007.

Business: Government Assistance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what proportion of payments to small and medium-sized businesses by his Department occurred within 10 days  (a) from the establishment of the Department to 21 October 2008 and  (b) from 21 October 2008 to date.

Patrick McFadden: Since 21 October 2008, BERR paid 96.1 per cent. of all invoices within 10 working days.
	Prior to this BERR recorded payment within 30 calendar days. BERR does not currently record and publish information about the size of suppliers as this does not fully reflect the number and size of businesses engaged in supplying goods and services. We do not discriminate by size of business because many SMEs can be found within larger supply chains.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many visits his main departmental website received in each of the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: Visitor statistics for the main BERR website
	www.berr.gov.uk
	in the last 12 months are as follows:
	
		
			   Visitors 
			 March 2008 613,913 
			 April 2008 626,986 
			 May 2008 639,527 
			 June 2008 681,650 
			 July 2008 720,338 
			 August 2008 516,080 
			 September 2008 641,686 
			 October 2008 753,954 
			 November 2008 676,204 
			 December 2008 546,116 
			 January 2009 796,574 
			 February 2009 690,263 
			   
			 Average 658,608 
			 Total 7,903,291

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many videos are uploaded to his Department's YouTube channel; how many views each video has received; and how many further videos his Department plans to upload to YouTube.

Patrick McFadden: There are currently two videos uploaded to the Department's YouTube Channel. As of 4 March 2009 these have attracted 2,981 and 1,909 views respectively (4,890 views in total). In addition the channel itself has been viewed 4,575 times. The Department will create further videos where they can support the efficient communication of its policies.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many hours a week were spent by Departmental officials in maintaining his Department's YouTube channel in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many officials are involved in such work.

Patrick McFadden: One official, whose duties include maintaining the Department's YouTube channel, spends approximately five hours per week on this task.

Departmental Internet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department has spent on maintaining its YouTube channel since its inception.

Patrick McFadden: BERR has spent £7,345.00 on its YouTube channel since its inception.

Departmental Sick Leave

Norman Lamb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department and its predecessors were on sick leave for  (a) over 30 days,  (b) over 50 days and  (c) over 100 days in each of the last five years.

Patrick McFadden: The number of staff on sick leave for over 30, 50 and 100 days in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Length of absence 
			   Over 30 days  30-50 days  50-100 days 
			 2004 99 122 69 
			 2005 59 57 57 
			 2006 53 61 52 
			 2007 40 48 42 
			 2008 41 34 29

Fisheries: Government Assistance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what programmes his Department funds to provide assistance to the UK fishing industry.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I have been asked to reply.
	Over the past year, approximately £5 million has been invested to support projects such as the Environmentally Responsible Fishing project, the Fisheries Science Partnership, the Fisheries Challenge Fund, as well as funding for e-logbooks and light dues. In addition, a £5 million vessel decommissioning scheme is underway for the English inshore fleet, in order to address the current imbalance between capacity and quota.
	Some £220 million of funding (£123 million of EU funds) is available for a wide range of UK projects under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), which runs from 2007 to 2013. The basic aim of the EFF is to support the sustainable development of the fisheries sector. Since the UK Operational programme was approved in September 2008, UK administrations have approved approximately £13.5 million of projects under the EFF scheme(1).
	(1 )All figures relating to the European Fisheries Fund have been converted to pounds sterling at a rate of 1€=0.891211GBP (6 March 2009). Figures have also been rounded.

Insolvency

Gordon Banks: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward proposals to  (a) set a maximum limit on and  (b) reduce the fees of administrators and receivers relating to winding up of business failures.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 5 March 2009
	 The fees charged by an insolvency practitioner reflect the necessary level of specialist knowledge that the insolvency practitioner has to have to be able to take effective action in a wide range of unusual and complex situations. This expertise takes time and training to acquire.
	The Insolvency Rules 1986 determine how the remuneration of an office holder (liquidator/administrator/trustee etc.) is to be fixed and provide that such remuneration shall be fixed by reference to the time properly given to the administration, or as a percentage of the assets which are realised and distributed. In most insolvency cases it is for the liquidation or creditors' committee to determine the basis for fixing the remuneration or, in the absence of such a committee, the creditors decide the matter. The Rules also make provision for the court to review the amount of remuneration charged.
	Statement of Insolvency Practice 9 provides regulatory guidance which insolvency practitioners must follow when seeking approval for their fees. Matters to be considered by the approving body (usually the creditors) include the effectiveness with which the insolvency practitioner has carried out his duties and the value and nature of the assets with which he has had to deal. In October 2004 the court issued a practice statement which provides guidance on matters that will be taken into account when the court is dealing with an application for review of remuneration.
	As the amount of remuneration is subject to review by the court my noble Friend the Secretary of State has no powers to investigate the amount of remuneration charged. I would therefore confirm that I have no plans to bring forward plans to limit or reduce the fees charged by insolvency practitioners, which are properly a matter for the creditors or the court.

Insolvency: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many businesses have entered into administration in  (a) Hemel Hempstead and  (b) Hertfordshire in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: There were 4,820 administrations (Enterprise Act 2002) in England and Wales in 2008. Statistics covering business administrations are not currently available on a regional basis within England and Wales.

Platte Media and MBS Systems: Complaints

Martin Horwood: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many complaints  (a) his Department and  (b) the Office of Fair Trading have received in respect of the activities of Platte Media and MBS Systems; what steps have been taken in response; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 25 February 2009
	Part 9 of the Enterprise Act 2002 places restrictions on information relating to businesses and individuals which the OFT (including Consumer Direct) can disclose. Therefore, the OFT does not usually confirm or deny whether it has received complaints about an individual or business unless it considers it is appropriate to do so in relation to a particular investigation.
	The OFT has however previously investigated the business activities of Micro Bill Systems Ltd. ("MBS"). In March 2008 MBS and its directors provided undertakings to the OFT following complaints about the appearance of 'pop-up' notices demanding payment for membership of adult content websites on consumers' computers. MBS also advised the OFT at the time that Platte International Ltd. (UK) ("Platte") would be taking over MBS so the OFT obtained identical undertakings from Platte.
	Platte has now informed the OFT that it would cease trading from 25 February 2009 and that Platte International Ltd. (British Virgin Islands) ceased marketing to the UK from 2 February 2009.
	The OFT monitors undertakings given to it and will consider whether any additional information it obtains warrants further enforcement action. It also liaises with relevant Trading Standards authorities to ensure that it is dealing with businesses fairly and proportionately while securing effective compliance with the law.

Royal Mail

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many representations he has received on the partial privatisation of the Post Office in each of the last three months; and how many of these have been  (a) in favour and  (b) against the Government's proposed policy.

Patrick McFadden: This information is not available in the form requested.

Royal Mail

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what his most recent estimate is of the cost of completing the modernisation of Royal Mail since the investment plan was agreed in 2007, and excluding the £600 million already spent.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 5 March 2009
	The Government have made available £1.2 billion of debt facilities to enable Royal Mail to implement their 2007 transformation plan. Royal Mail will utilise all of this funding to implement their plans and will need ongoing finance in the future.

Royal Mail: Pensions

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much additional revenue he expects Royal Mail would receive annually were the Government to assume full responsibility for its pensions deficit.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 5 March 2009
	Royal Mail currently receives an allowance for pension deficit recovery under the current price control agreed with Postcomm. How this is dealt with in the next price control, if the Government take responsibility for the company's historic pension liabilities in the context of partnership, will be a matter for Ofcom in discussion with Royal Mail.

Temporary Employment

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department has spent on the Agency Workers' Know Your Rights campaign.

Patrick McFadden: The projected spend for the 'Know your rights—agency workers' campaign is £1.25 million by the end of March 2009.

Trade Promotion

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many copies UK Trade and Investment produced of the 'Marketing the UK Like Never Before' document; and how much they cost to produce.

Gareth Thomas: 'Marketing the UK Like Never Before' was aimed at business professionals, trade associations and chambers of commerce. Reaction to the publication across the board has been extremely positive. Businesses have commended UKTI for adopting a marketing-led approach to promoting the UK.
	1,010 copies of 'Marketing the UK Like Never Before' were produced at a cost of £11,243.00.

INNOVATION, UNIVERSITIES AND SKILLS

Higher Education: Admissions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many young people from each parliamentary constituency began an undergraduate course at a UK higher education institution in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) 2007-08.

David Lammy: The latest information has been placed in the House Libraries.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Antisocial Behaviour Orders: Middlesbrough

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders were issued to men aged between 18 and 25 years old in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: Information on the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued is not collected centrally below Criminal Justice System (CJS) area level.

Arrests: Demonstrations

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) arrests have been made and  (b) people have been charged following an arrest at a public protest in each of the last five years.

Alan Campbell: The data requested are not collected centrally.
	The arrests collection held by the Home Office covers arrests for recorded crime (notifiable offences) recorded by the police forces in England and Wales, broken down at a main offence group level only. Information on subsequent outcomes after arrest are not part of this collection.
	From the data on arrests reported to the Home Office, it is not possible to separate data for the number of arrests made and the number of people charged following a public protest.

Assaults on Police

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 132-3W, on assaults on police, what the equivalent figures are for  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The data provided here on sickness days due to assault are a supplementary series collected on behalf and released with the approval of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC). These data are normally used for inspection purposes only.
	The requested data for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are given in the following table.
	The requested information on days lost per officer and costs to each force are not collected centrally within the police personnel statistics series.
	
		
			  Number of police officer working days lost due to assaults( 1) :2005-06, 2006-07 
			   2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset n/a 21 
			 Bedfordshire 184 178 
			 Cambridgeshire 284 62 
			 Cheshire 575 112 
			 Cleveland n/a n/a 
			 Cumbria 150 n/a 
			 Derbyshire 351 236 
			 Devon and Cornwall 990 334 
			 Dorset n/a n/a 
			 Durham 28 n/a 
			 Dyfed-Powys 93 97 
			 Essex 301 248 
			 Gloucestershire 199 165 
			 Greater Manchester 1,127 94 
			 Gwent 417 n/a 
			 Hampshire 302 252 
			 Hertfordshire 85 186 
			 Humberside 156 n/a 
			 Kent 437 748 
			 Lancashire 1,095 603 
			 Leicestershire 193 274 
			 Lincolnshire 88 211 
			 London, City of 43 13 
			 Merseyside 184 n/a 
			 Metropolitan Police 18,577 7,647 
			 Norfolk 41 67 
			 Northamptonshire 4 29 
			 Northumbria 290 905 
			 North Wales 158 323 
			 North Yorkshire n/a 137 
			 Nottinghamshire 145 n/a 
			 South Wales n/a n/a 
			 South Yorkshire 160 104 
			 Staffordshire 285 299 
			 Suffolk 5 213 
			 Surrey 32 20 
			 Sussex 334 109 
			 Thames Valley n/a n/a 
			 Warwickshire 63 715 
			 West Mercia 467 446 
			 West Midlands 1,313 1,419 
			 West Yorkshire 974 725 
			 Wiltshire 37 n/a 
			 n/a = Data not available. Force was not able to supply data at the time of collection.  Note: 1 Provisional data taken from a supplementary series collected on behalf of HMIC and used for inspection purposes only. Data have not undergone usual quality assurance practices (including validation with individual police forces) and are therefore supplied for information purposes only.

Asylum: Castle Point

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are  (a) housed and  (b) planned to be housed in Castle Point constituency.

Phil Woolas: As at the end of December 2008, there were no asylum seekers recorded as supported in accommodation in the Castle Point constituency. This excludes any asylum seekers who were living in the Castle Point constituency but not receiving accommodation support from UK Border Agency and any unaccompanied asylum seeking children supported by local authorities.

Asylum: Democratic Republic of Congo

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information her Department holds on the experience of unsuccessful asylum seekers removed to Kinshassa on 26 February 2007; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: UKAIT 00098. The AIT's Determination, including its findings in relation to the charter flight of 26 February 2007 (paragraphs 358-375), can be found on the AIT website at:
	www.ait.gov.uk
	The FCO is not aware of any allegations of mistreatment from any returnees on this flight.

Asylum: Finance

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on the Gateway refugee programme in  (a) 2007 and  (b) 2008.

Phil Woolas: Total expenditure on the Gateway Protection programme for the calendar year 2007 was £7.0 million. Final figures for the calendar year 2008 are not yet available.

Cannabis: Fixed Penalties

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether offenders who have received a cannabis warning before 26 January 2009 would receive a penalty notice for disorder for any second cannabis possession offence committed after that date.

Jacqui Smith: The Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) revised national guidance for England and Wales for the policing of cannabis possession for personal use by adults states (paragraph 3.1.1):
	"If the offender has already received a Cannabis Warning on a previous occasion, then a further Warning should not be issued. The officer should escalate action. Note: Cannabis Warnings issued after 26 January 2009 must be taken into account when deciding a level of intervention, whereas those issued before this date should be considered as part of any previous offending history."
	The guidance further makes clear that in deciding the appropriate level of intervention, officers retain their operational discretion and that arrest should remain the first presumption, taking into account all relevant circumstances including the presence of aggravating factors.
	The ACPO guidance is available at:
	www.acpo.police.uk/policies.asp

Crime Prevention

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what activities crime and disorder reduction partnerships are required to report on, broken down by data field; and when each requirement was introduced.

Jacqui Smith: Crime and disorder reduction partnerships are not required to report to the Home Office on their activities.
	Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, CDRPs had previously been required to report annually to the Secretary of State on the partnership's work and progress. This duty was repealed in 2007.

Crime: Animal Welfare

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings her Department has held with the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime on reducing the number of illegal badger killings in the last 12 months.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 25 February 2009
	The Government take all violence against animals, including badgers, very seriously. The Home Office is a member of the Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Steering Group. Meetings are held quarterly and Home Office representatives attend where appropriate. We have not held a separate meeting with PAW to discuss illegal killing of badgers within the last 12 months.

Crimes of Violence: Females

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for specialised services for female victims of violence.

Alan Campbell: Funding for Government Departments is determined through spending reviews, which set firm and fixed three-year departmental expenditure limits and, through Public Service Agreements (PSA), define the key improvements that the public can expect from these resources. Funding for specialised services for women victims of violence is a decision for local areas which must be determined locally based on local need and priorities.

Departmental Freedom of Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 have been made to her Department since 2005; how many of them were  (a) agreed to and  (b) refused in each of those years; how many refusals were subject to appeal to the Information Commissioner in each of those years; how many appeals were successful; if she will place in the Library copies of the material subsequently provided in each case; how much was spent by her Department opposing each appeal; which (i) consultants and (ii) law firms were employed by her Department in connection with each appeal; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Minister of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Swindon (Mr. Wills) on 12 January 2009,  Official Report, column 504W.
	A copy of the information released pursuant to Information Commissioner decisions will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Departmental Impact Assessments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many equalities impact assessments her Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office has published 24 equality impact assessments in the last 12 month period.
	The Secretary of State is committed to fulfilling her statutory duty to conduct such assessments, where required. The equality impact assessment process is part of the Home Office's policy/business development model. For these reasons, exact costs of the assessments can not be determined without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Department does not delegate budgets specifically for entertainment. Expenditure on entertainment is covered by the larger hospitality and catering budget.
	All Home Office expenditure on entertainment and hospitality conforms to the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money, and any other guidance as applicable contained within Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office accounting systems do not identify separately the cost of alcohol and food. This information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Reviews

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many change programmes her Department has initiated in each of the last five years; what the planned budget was for each such programme; what the outturn cost was of each completed programme; and what the projected outturn cost is of each incomplete programme.

Jacqui Smith: Change programmes, large and small, are initiated across the Department on a regular basis. Records of all such programmes are not held centrally and such details could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Drugs: Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on measures to prevent illegal drug activity.

Alan Campbell: The Home Secretary met Vice President Jacques Barrot on 3 March when, in the context of discussions about the next five year work programme for justice and home affairs, she discussed the need for the EU to continue to work together against illegal drugs.
	In November 2008, the Council of Ministers adopted the European Union Drugs Action Plan for 2009-12, the second within the EU Drugs Strategy 2005-12. This had been drafted by the Commission and amended in the Council in the course of the adoption process. The plan contains a series of actions to be taken by member states, the Commission, Europol and by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), with the ultimate aim of significantly reducing the prevalence of drug use among the population of the European Union and to reduce the social harm and health damage caused by the use of and trade in illicit drugs.
	In October 2008, the Justice and Home Affairs Council also discussed the threat to the European Union of cocaine trafficking through west Africa and tasked officials to take forward a series of actions addressing this.

Economic Situation

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) summits,  (b) conferences and  (c) seminars her Department has hosted since January 2008 at which a primary subject for discussion was the impact of the economic situation on matters within her Department's responsibility.

Phil Woolas: We are unable to answer this question as we do not hold the information required centrally.

Empty Property

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by  (a) her Department,  (b) HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and  (c) the UK Border Agency is in 2008-09.

Phil Woolas: As at 24 February 2009 the e-PIMS database recorded that there were no vacant owned properties on the estates of the Home Office, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary or the UK Border Agency. Empty rates are therefore not payable in respect of any property owned by these bodies.

Entry Clearances

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prevented from entering the UK on the grounds that their presence could threaten public security in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: From 1997 to 2008, 5,160 persons were refused entry at the UK border on grounds relating to the public good. The annual breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of refusals 
			 1997(1) 10 
			 1998(1) 12 
			 1999(1) 28 
			 2000(1) 79 
			 2001 323 
			 2002 273 
			 2003 606 
			 2004 977 
			 2005 645 
			 2006 626 
			 2007 828 
			 2008 753 
			 Total 5,160 
			 (1) Statistics between 1997 and 2000 are based on local management information and they predate the current Home Office records database.

Entry Clearances: EC Nationals

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many EU nationals from each member state have been refused entry into the UK on the grounds that their presence would threaten public safety in each of the last five years.

Phil Woolas: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 865W.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effect of the maximum length of student visas on foreign students studying medicine in the UK.

Phil Woolas: Tier 4 of the Points Based System is due to be launched at the end of this month, and under the terms of the Tier, as published in the Tier 4 Statement of Intent (SoI), General Student visas were to have been limited to a maximum period of four years. This period would have covered the duration of the majority of degree courses, but students on longer courses would have had to apply for extensions of stay to complete their courses.
	However, in the light of concerns expressed since the publication of the SoI about the position of medical students and others on longer degree courses, I have decided, and recently announced, that degree students may be issued with visas for the full duration of their courses in the United Kingdom, rather than their visas being limited to a maximum of four years.

Entry Clearances: Standards

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 152W, on entry clearances, what the reasons are for the relatively low performance against public service agreement targets in Sri Lanka; in which three countries there was the lowest performance against the public service agreement targets for processing visa applications in 2007-08; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: In the financial year 2007-08 the number of visa applications in Colombo exceeded the ability of the visa section to process them.
	In that financial year, our posts in the following countries had the lowest performance against public service agreement targets for visa processing times (rating 1 = lowest):
	
		
			   PSA1  PSA 2  PSA 3 
			 1 Sudan Algeria Morocco 
			 2 Seychelles Mongolia Sri Lanka 
			 3 Mongolia Slovakia Ethiopia 
		
	
	These data are unpublished and should be treated as provisional.

Genetics: Databases

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how old the  (a) youngest and  (b) oldest person with a profile on the national DNA database is; and how old the (i) youngest and (ii) oldest person to have had a profile added to the national DNA database was at the time the profile was added.

Jacqui Smith: As at 26 November 2008, the youngest person with a profile on the National DNA Database was aged under one year and the oldest was over 90 years old. The youngest person to have had a profile added to the NDNAD was under one year old, and the oldest was over 90 years old, at the time the profile was added.
	The precise age of the subject profile taken from the subject aged over 90 cannot be disclosed as it would constitute personal data as defined by Article 2 of the European Data Protection Directive: information relating to an identified or identifiable individual.
	On 16 December 2008, I announced that the Government would take immediate steps to remove the DNA profiles of children aged under ten from the NDNAD.

Human Trafficking

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of people-trafficking-related  (a) investigations,  (b) trials and  (c) convictions have been brought about as a result of the activity of the Metropolitan police human trafficking unit in each year since its inception.

Jacqui Smith: The data provided by the UK Human Trafficking Centre indicate that of the 92 convictions secured for human trafficking offences 28 have been as a result of operations by the police in the Metropolitan Police Service area. It is not possible to break down the number solely related to the work of the Met's trafficking unit as operations against this crime often involve officers from the boroughs, the Clubs and Vice Unit, as well as from the joint operations involving UKBA staff.
	The number of convictions by year is follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2004 1 
			 2005 10 
			 2006 10 
			 2007 1 
			 2008 6

Immigration: Appeals

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average length of time taken by her Department to comply with judgments of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal after a decision has been taken by her Department not to appeal.

Phil Woolas: Information on the average length of time taken to comply with an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal judgment following a hearing is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.
	However, the UK Border Agency has recently undertaken a piece of work to review the processes involved in granting status following an allowed appeal. The review has identified potential process amendments to make the system more timely and a workshop to consider how changes could be implemented has recently taken place. One of these amendments includes looking into the possibility of introducing targets for the implementation of status following an allowed appeal.
	Arrangements have been made to monitor progress in this area.

Immigration: Marriage

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to record the occasions on which a failure to fulfil the probationary period for those seeking settlement on the basis of marriage is used as a basis for removing a person's right to remain in the UK.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not available. The reasons for refusal are recorded on individual case files and data on this could be obtained by the detailed examination of individual case records only at disproportionate cost.

Immigration: Sri Lanka

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Sri Lankan asylum seekers  (a) applied for asylum,  (b) were granted asylum,  (c) were otherwise given leave to remain in the UK and  (d) were removed from the UK in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006, (iii) 2007 and (iv) 2008.

Phil Woolas: The following tables show the number of Sri Lankan who applied for asylum, were granted asylum or subsidiary protection at initial decision or on appeal and the number who were removed from the UK, between January 2005 and September 2008. Initial decision, appeal and removal figures do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same year.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Q4 2008 statistics will be available on 24 February 2009 from the Library of the House and from the Home Office research, development and statistics directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Asylum applications( 1)  received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, and initial decisions( 2)  on applications, January 2005 to September 2008, nationals of Sri Lanka 
			  Principal applicants 
			   Applications  Decisions 
			   Total  Port  In country  Total decisions  Grants of asylum  Grants of humanitarian protection  Grants of discretionary leave  Total refusals 
			 2005 395 90 310 520 5 — 60 455 
			 2006 525 125 400 430 5 — 55 370 
			 2007(3) 990 195 795 935 65 * 55 810 
			 January to September 2008(3) 1,040 160 880 645 120 * 45 480 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5, (— = 0, * = 1 or 2). (2) Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. (3) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Appeals outcomes determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal( 1) , excluding dependants, nationals of Sri Lanka, January 2005 to September 2008 
			  Principal appellants 
			   Appeals determined by immigration judges( 2) 
			Allowed( 3)  Dismissed( 3)  Withdrawn( 3, 4) 
			   Total determined( 3)  Total  As percentage of determined  Total  As percentage of determined  Total  As percentage of determined 
			 2005 630 70 11 535 85 25 4 
			 2006 440 85 19 335 76 20 5 
			 2007(5) 865 240 28 595 69 25 3 
			 January to September 2008(5) 530 175 34 335 64 15 3 
			 (1) Figures rounded to nearest 5 (except percentages), with * = 1 or 2. Figures may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (2) All figures for appeals determined are cases dealt with by immigration judges. (3) Based on information supplied by the AIT. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period. (4) Figures include cases withdrawn by the Home Office, as well as those withdrawn by the appellant. (5) Provisional figures. 
		
	
	
		
			  Removals, voluntary departures and assisted returns( 1)  of principal asylum cases( 2) , nationals of Sri Lanka, January 2005 to September 2008 
			  Number of removals( 3) 
			   Total principal asylum cases removed, nationals of Sri Lanka 
			 2005 425 
			 2006 715 
			 2007(4) 505 
			 January to September 2008(4) 210 
			 (1) Includes enforced removals, port asylum removals which have been performed by enforcement officers using port powers of removal (and a small number of cases dealt with at juxtaposed controls), persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, persons leaving under Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration and since January 2005, persons who it has been established have left the UK without informing the immigration authorities. (2) Persons who had sought asylum at some stage, excluding dependants. (3) Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 (— = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown because of independent rounding. (4) Provisional figures.

Members: Correspondence

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 2259W, on human trafficking, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire with the information referred to.

Alan Campbell: A reply was sent on 28 January 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 4 December 2008, regarding Mrs. Shakeela Bano.

Jacqui Smith: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 January 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a reply will be sent to the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood's e-mail to the UK Border Agency of 23 October 2008 on behalf of Felix Kankwamba, Home Office reference K1115877.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency replied to the right hon. Member on 3 March 2009.

Members: Correspondence

Clare Short: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Borders and Immigration plans to reply to the inquiry from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 23 October 2008 on behalf of Momodou Saidyjah, reference J1146013.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency wrote to the right hon. Member on 3 March 2009.

Mental Illness

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight Report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office welcomes this Foresight report and will be assessing the implications of its findings for departmental business in respect of the areas covered by the report.

National Identity Register: Expenditure

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the National Identity Register to date.

Meg Hillier: It is not possible to provide a specific breakdown of spend to date relating to the National Identity Register without incurring disproportionate costs.
	Contracts that have been let to date provide a range of capabilities and not all costs of these contracts or the programmes to support them are attributable to the development of the National Identity Register alone.

National Policing Improvement Agency: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff work in each section of the National Policing Improvement Agency.

Jacqui Smith: The National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) has six directorates, spread across a number of sites. The Resources directorate and Secretariat provide business support to NPIA, while all other Directorates provide direct support and services to police forces.
	The total number of staff as at 12 February 2009 was 2,192. This includes permanent staff, secondees, fixed term appointments, officers on loan and contractors. The following table provides a breakdown of staff by directorate.
	
		
			  Directorate  Permanent  Fixed contract  Secondee  Loan  External employee  Total 
			 Information communications technology and science 207 7 53 — 131 398 
			 Operations 297 5 43 2 32 379 
			 People and development 347 21 116 4 65 553 
			 Policing policy and practice 206 16 117 2 145 486 
			 Resources 177 5 4 4 134 324 
			 Secretariat 36 1 12 1 2 52 
			 Total 1,270 55 345 13 509 2,192

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment her Department has made of the work of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency regularly monitors information it receives from the OISC about its performance and how it is meeting its business objectives.

Official Residences

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the answer of 17 March 2008,  Official Report, columns 806-07W, on official residences, whether the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside paid rent in respect of his occupancy of the property at South Eaton Place during the two periods when he resided there while not holding Ministerial office.

Phil Woolas: The right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) made a payment in respect of his occupancy of the property at South Eaton Place for a period in 2005.

Police Cautions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cautions were given for each offence in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of offenders cautioned, broken down by offence group, are published in table 3.2 of the Ministry of Justice publication "Criminal Statistics—England and Wales 2007". A copy is available in the House Library.
	A breakdown of the offences included in the categories in table 3.2 is provided in appendix 3 of the publication.
	The increase in cautions in recent years is broadly consistent with the improved performance of the CJS which in 2007-08 saw a 44 per cent. increase in the number of offences brought to justice since 2001-02.
	
		
			  Table 3.2: Offenders( 1)  cautioned by sex and type of offence, 1998-2007—England and Wales 
			  Number of offenders (thousand) 
			  Sex and type of offence  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Males( 1)   
			  Indictable offences   
			 Violence against the person 18.4 16.6 15.5 15.2 17.9 21.5 27.5 38.1 43.8 39.6 
			 Sexual offences 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.9 
			 Burglary 7.5 6.8 5.8 5.7 5.0 4.9 4.9 5.6 6.8 6.2 
			 Robbery 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 51.4 46.4 40.0 36.6 30.7 30.7 34.2 38.0 42.0 41.8 
			 Fraud and forgery 4.7 4.6 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.5 3.7 4.4 5.2 5.6 
			 Criminal damage 2.4 2.6 2.8 2.9 2.6 3.1 4.6 6.0 7.5 7.4 
			 Drug offences 52.3 43.5 36.4 34.9 39.8 40.2 28.5 30.1 32.5 37.6 
			 Other (excluding motoring offences) 4.2 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.6 4.2 4.7 5.5 7.3 7.8 
			 Total (excluding motoring offences) 142.9 126.1 109.7 103.8 104.4 109.8 110.0 129.9 147.6 148.5 
			
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring offences) 76.9 76.1 69.6 68.0 63.8 70.9 76.0 87.6 112.0 120.2 
			 All offences(2) (excluding motoring offences 219.8 202.3 179.3 171.8 168.2 180.6 185.9 217.5 259.6 268.7 
			
			  Females   
			  Indictable offences   
			 Violence against the person 5.1 4.7 4.4 4.4 5.7 7.2 9.1 13.0 13.4 12.7 
			 Sexual offences 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Burglary 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.8 
			 Robbery 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 32.2 29.1 27.6 26.9 23.5 23.8 27.8 29.6 30.3 31.0 
			 Fraud and forgery 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.3 2.5 2.8 3.0 
			 Criminal damage 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.9 1.3 1.5 1.4 
			 Drug offences 6.4 5.8 4.7 4.5 5.1 5.5 4.1 4.3 4.9 5.4 
			 Other (excluding motoring offences) 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.3 1.4 2.1 2.1 
			 Total (excluding motoring offences)(2) 48.8 44.5 41.2 40.1 38.5 41.0 46.3 53.0 56.2 56.6 
			
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring offences) 19.2 19.4 18.5 18.0 18.6 20.2 23.5 28.5 34.2 37.6 
			 All offences(2)( )(excluding motoring offences) 68.1 63.9 59.7 58.1 57.2 61.2 69.8 81.4 90.3 94.2 
			
			  All offenders   
			  Indictable offences   
			 Violence against the person 23.5 21.2 19.9 19.6 23.6 28.8 36.6 51.0 57.3 52.3 
			 Sexual offences 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.0 
			 Burglary 8.4 7.7 6.6 6.4 5.8 5.6 5.6 6.5 7.7 7.0 
			 Robbery 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.6 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 83.6 75.4 67.6 63.5 54.2 54.5 61.9 67.6 72.4 72.8 
			 Fraud and forgery 7.4 7.2 6.2 5.8 5.3 5.5 6.0 6.9 8.0 8.6 
			 Criminal damage 2.7 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.1 3.7 5.5 7.2 9.0 8.8 
			 Drug offences 58.7 49.4 41.1 39.4 44.9 45.7 32.6 34.4 37.4 43.1 
			 Other (excluding motoring offences) 5.0 4.6 4.4 4.1 4.4 5.3 6.0 6.9 9.4 10.0 
			 Total (excluding motoring offences)(2) 191.7 170.6 150.9 143.9 142.9 150.7 156.3 182.9 203.8 205.1 
			
			 Summary offences (excluding motoring offences) 96.2 95.6 88.1 85.9 82.4 91.1 99.5 116.0 146.2 157.8 
			 All offences(2 )(excluding motoring offences) 287.9 266.1 239.0 229.9 225.4 241.8 255.8 298.9 350.0 362.9 
			 (1) Other offenders i.e. companies, public bodies etc. are included with males. (2) May not sum due to rounding.

Police: Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many instances of  (a) assistance to other agencies,  (b) bail or curfew checks,  (c) complaints against police and  (d) police-generated resource activity, as defined by the National Incident Category List, were recorded by each police force in 2007-08.

Jacqui Smith: This information is held by each individual police force and is not collated or held centrally by the Home Office.

Police: Olympic Games 2012

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces will be responsible for the security of the training camps for teams competing in the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 6 March 2009
	The location of specific training camps is not yet finalised. In general, the provision of security for training camps for teams competing in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games is a private matter between the venue owner and the teams concerned.
	Our approach to security planning is risk-based and intelligence-led. Some teams will be at greater risk and we will work with them to ensure appropriate safety and security measures are in place.
	If our understanding of threats changes and further measures are needed to protect specific camps and teams, the overall approach set out in our Security Strategy is sufficiently responsive and flexible, to allow us to take appropriate security measures.

Proceeds of Crime

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has  (a) spent on all forms of asset recovery and  (b) recovered in proceeds of crime since its creation.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 3 March 2009
	Asset recovery work is mainstreamed into all tasked operations by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA). Within each operation it is not possible to identify the expenditure that relates to asset recovery elements of individual cases. Details of SOCA's asset recovery performance since its inception in April 2006 to March 2008 were published in its annual reports 2006-07 and 2007-08. SOCA will report on its performance for the current financial year in the SOCA annual report 2008-09, which will be laid before Parliament following year end.

Proceeds of Crime

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has spent on receivers' fees for  (a) civil and  (b) criminal asset recovery since its creation.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 3 March 2009
	Civil recovery powers were extended to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and prosecutors in April 2008 under the Serious Crime Act 2007. SOCA's costs relating to this new function are subject to internal validation and will be available after the end of the financial year. The courts are responsible for the payment of receivers' fees that relate to criminal asset recovery.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will commission research on the effectiveness of  (a) compulsory and  (b) voluntary counselling for prostitutes.

Alan Campbell: Home Office Research Study 279 Tackling Street Prostitution: Towards an holistic approach, published in 2004, considered the effectiveness of different approaches and identified models of needs and support for those involved in street prostitution. This and a range of existing research informed the Home Office Consultation Paying the Price (2004), and the subsequent development of the Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy (2006).

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much local authorities spent on average in each of the last five years on providing voluntary counselling for individuals working as prostitutes.

Alan Campbell: The responsibility for disseminating local funding is devolved to local authorities. How this money is spent is a decision for each local authority. The level of spending of each authority on particular services is not monitored by central Government.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authority provision of specific services and schemes for people working as prostitutes to assist them with  (a) housing,  (b) poverty,  (c) childcare,  (d) drug addiction and  (e) health care.

Alan Campbell: The Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy sets out a number of actions for local partnerships, including; to conduct a needs assessment, and where prostitution is an issue, to develop local measures to tackle street prostitution, including prevention, providing routes out, linking this activity to the drug strategy; and to develop prioritised and specialised drug treatment programmes and other services as part of the exiting process. The strategy also indicates a Home Office commitment to produce guidance on models of support and routes out, in order to assist local partnerships with the commissioning of appropriate support services for those involved in prostitution. This guidance is being developed and will support the implementation of legislative provisions which form part of a comprehensive approach to tackling problems associated with prostitution.

Prostitution

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to ensure local authority provision of services and schemes for people working as prostitutes to assist the reporting of violence and abuse.

Alan Campbell: As part of the Government's Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy the Ugly Mugs scheme which enables those involved in prostitution to share information on dangerous clients, has been expanded through the existing Crimestoppers helpline that allows crime to be reported anonymously. The Government's Public Service Agreement 23 Making Communities Safer includes a priority action to reduce the most serious sexual offences and domestic violence. This will require local authorities to prioritise action to tackle these offences including through increasing the reporting of these offences.

Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans her Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

Phil Woolas: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in discussions with the royal household about how to mark the diamond jubilee.

Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department has provided for each Regional Strategic Migration Partnership in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: The UK border agency has paid, or will pay, the following amounts to Regional Strategic Migration Partnerships for the 2008-09 financial year:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 170,000 
			 North West 170,000 
			 West Midlands 170,000 
			 London 170,000 
			 Scotland 150,000 
			 North East 150,000 
			 East Midlands 130,000 
			 Wales 130,000 
			 South East 110,000 
			 South West 110,000 
			 East of England 110,000

Security Guards: Licensing

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many private security licences have been granted to people of each nationality by the Security Industry Authority.

Jacqui Smith: This information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Security Industry Authority: Finance

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the budget of the Security Industry Authority has been in each year since it was established.

Jacqui Smith: The following table summarises the Security Industry Authority's (SIA's) budget for each year since it was established. Further details can be found in the SIA's Business Plans on their website at:
	http://www.the-sia.org.uk/home/about_sia/publications/publications_financial.htm
	The Home Office funded the SIA's initial start-up costs and deficits but the SIA is now self-funding.
	
		
			  Table: Security Industry Authority budget 
			  £000 
			  Financial year  Planned variable licensing costs  Planned operating costs or expenditure  Planned capital  Total planned expenditure  Planned total income  Source = Corporate business plans 
			 2003-04(1) 0 8,622 6,810 15,432 0 SIA Plan 2003-06 
			 2004-05 10,285 11,313 2,441 21,598 23,971 SIA Plan 2003-06 
			 2005- 06 5,860 16,330 1,571 23,761 25,584 SIA Plan 2005-06 to 2008-09 
			 2006-07 8,867 14,256 3,420 26,543 18,582 SIA Plan 2005-06 to 2008-09 
			 2007-08 7,888 13,498 2,200 23,586 19,293 SIA Plan 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			 2008-09 9,855 14,568 132 24,555 25,301 SIA Plan 2008-09 to 2010-11 
			 (1 )All income received was grant in aid from the Home Office.

Security: Housing

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been provided for home security improvements for low income pensioners in each year since 1997 in Dacorum.

Alan Campbell: Data to this level of detail are not held centrally or locally and it would be a disproportionate cost to attempt to calculate the figures. However, in Dacorum the local authority provides a service offering home security improvements which include the fitting of locks, door chains, spy-holes and smoke alarms free of charge to actual or potential burglary victims. This service supports vulnerable groups, including older people. Between April and December 2008 they visited 556 older people to provide these services.

Special Constables: Dacorum

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in Dacorum in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The Home Office collects figures for numbers of special constables at police force and Basic Command Unit (BCU) level only. Geographically, Dacorum does not match any of the BCUs in Hertfordshire.

UK Border Agency: Complaints

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the audit memorandum drafted by the UK Border Agency Complaints Audit Committee.

Phil Woolas: The audit memorandum is included as an appendix in the Complaints Audit Committee's annual report 2007-08, copies of which are already available in the Library.

Visas: Iraq

Kim Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities there are to issue visas at the UK consulate in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: UKBA are planning to trial a limited visa operation at the British embassy office, Erbil. Current planning is that the limited service will commence on 9 March 2009. Applications (by appointment only) will be accepted on a similar basis to the model operated in Baghdad. Applications will be forwarded to Amman for processing.

JUSTICE

Departmental Detergents

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will make it his policy to ensure that no cleaning products or ingredients of cleaning products used by his Department have been tested on animals.

Shahid Malik: The Ministry of Justice does not have a corporate policy on cleaning products being tested on animals. However, HM Prison Service's current contract for provision of cleaning products is free from products tested on animals and this contract may be extended to the whole of the Ministry of Justice as part of the wider rationalisation of the procurement of goods and services.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: A budget is set for "Travel, Subsistence and Hospitality". The cost of entertainment provided in the course of furthering departmental business falls within this budget. There is, however, no departmental requirement to separately report expenditure on entertainment and therefore no separate budget for entertainment is held. The element of the "Travel, Subsistence and Hospitality" budget that relates to entertainment could be separately estimated only at a disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure on entertainment is in line with the Ministry's internal Finance Policy Manual and its Gifts and Hospitality Policy, which set out mandatory guidance for all staff regarding the use of public funds. Both are consistent with the Treasury guidance on Managing Public Money, and the Treasury handbook on Propriety and Regularity.

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The information requested is set out as follows.
	 Ministry of Justice (ex DCA)
	Information about the volume of correspondence sent by Royal Mail is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Regarding the use of other commercial delivery services, the former DCA used one other licensed carrier, DX Network Services. Volumetric data for this financial year are currently being collated and will be available in April 2009.
	In respect of spend for the 2007-08 financial year, the Department spent £10.49 million (77 per cent.) with Royal Mail, compared with £3.1 million (23 per cent.) with DX Network Services.
	DX Network Services provides a cost effective and efficient mail service between courts, to the legal profession and other business addresses.
	 National Offender Management Service (NOMS)  and The Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR)
	Information about the volume of correspondence sent by Royal Mail and other commercial delivery services is not available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	 HM Prison Service (HMPS)
	Postage is handled on an individual Prison basis and there are no central contracts for mail collection and distribution; volumes are not recorded either.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold information on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which we are responsible, who have previously had careers in the banking industry. To collate this information would necessitate enquiring of all those in executive positions across a significant number of MOJ bodies, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: For the period from 31 of December 2007, no payments have been made by the Ministry of Justice to either Deborah Mattinson or to Opinion Leader Research Limited.
	All NDPBs, NPS, and the Scotland Office are excluded from this response as their details are held separately and to gather it would exceed the cost limit. Information can be separately requested from the individual offices if required.

Departmental Training

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not currently provide voice coaching training events.
	17 members of the senior civil service attended "Public Speaking Training Days" in November 2008. These events included an element on voice coaching.
	The Ministry of Justice also provides in-house one-to-one coaching on presentation skills. This course covers what a presentation is and when to use the medium; tools to plan and prepare; using appropriate visual aids; and how to keep the audience listening and interested. 310 people have attended this course over the last 12 months.
	As part of the 'tools to plan and prepare' element of the presentation skills course, delegates are given an explanation of appropriate pitch, tone and pace of voice. Records are not kept on requests by delegates to enlarge on that subject.

Dietary Supplements: EU Law

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when Ministers in his Department last visited  (a) Jersey and  (b) Guernsey; and whether the importation of health foods and food supplements from the Channel Islands to the UK was discussed on such visits.

Michael Wills: A ministerial visit was made to Guernsey on 10 and 11 February 2009, the importation of health foods and health food supplements were discussed. A ministerial visit was last made to Jersey on 10 May 2004, the importation of health foods and health food supplements were not discussed on this occasion. It is anticipated that there will be a ministerial visit to Jersey in the near future.

Drugs: Rehabilitation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what the average cost of a drug rehabilitation requirement was in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many drug rehabilitation requirements are in force;
	(3)  how many drug rehabilitation requirements were  (a) made,  (b) successfully completed and  (c) breached by non-compliance in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

David Hanson: Drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) as an element of community orders came into force in April 2005, in effect replacing and building upon Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs).
	A total unit cost of £6,000 per order for DTTOs was calculated from the experience of the pilots run from 1998 to 2000. This was split into approximately £2,000 for offender supervision/management costs and £4,000 for treatment costs, with the latter paid into the Department of Health pooled treatment budget and the remainder met by probation areas from main funding.
	Significant regional variations in Drug (and Alcohol) Action Team (D(A)AT) commissioning practice and costs of treatment modalities have made it difficult to establish unit costs for DRRs since the pilots.
	The National Offender Management Service plans to undertake a piece of analysis, informed by work on treatment costs being undertaken by the National Treatment Agency, to establish more accurately the unit cost of a DRR.
	The most recent analysis of the drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) caseload was carried out at the end of 2007-08. At that time there were 10,519 DRRs and 187 Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) in force.
	The following table shows the number of starts, completions, orders where breach proceedings were instigated and revocation of orders for drug rehabilitation requirements (DRRs) or Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) in each of the last three financial years for which full information is available.
	The proportion of offenders successfully completing DTTOs/DRRs has risen significantly from 28 per cent. in 2003 to 43 per cent. in 2007-08. This is encouraging because we know from research that offenders who complete orders have significantly lower reconviction rates (53 per cent.) than those that don't (91 per cent.), although it is not possible to attribute this difference entirely to the programme.
	
		
			   DRR/DTTO starts  DRR/DTTO completions  Orders where breach proceedings were instigated  Revocation of the order for failure to comply 
			 2005-06 14,001 3,978 10,433 3,222 
			 2006-07 15,798 5,939 11,286 4,441 
			 2007-08 16,607 6,253 11,554 4,791

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the guidance issued by his Department to electoral registration officers on visits to the houses of people who have failed to register.

Michael Wills: The Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced a new, explicit requirement for electoral registration officers (EROs) to take all steps that are necessary for the purpose of complying with their duty to maintain the electoral registers. These steps, as set out in the legislation, include sending the canvass form more than once, making house to house inquiries in connection with the canvass, making contact by such other means as the ERO thinks appropriate with a person who does not have an entry in the register, and inspecting any record that the ERO is permitted by law to inspect.
	Issuing guidelines for EROs falls within the Electoral Commission's remit and they published a guidance manual on all aspects of managing electoral registration to support EROs in Great Britain on 24 February 2008. This manual is regularly updated and specifically deals with matters in relation to undertaking an annual canvass, the appointment of canvassers and the requirement to make house visits to non-responding households.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to ensure that all electoral registration forms are identically-worded.

Michael Wills: The form to be used by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for the annual canvass must be that prescribed for the purpose of the canvass or a form to like effect, in accordance with section 10(4) of the Representation of the People Act 1983. The prescribed form is set out in Regulations, for example in England and Wales the form is set out in its entirety in the Schedule to the Representation of the People (Form of Canvass) (England and Wales) Regulations (SI 2006/1694).
	The design of rolling registration forms is a matter for EROs: but such forms must contain the detailed information required by Regulation 26 of the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/341). The Electoral Commission has designed a form that EROs may use. Electors may register to vote by simply writing to their ERO enclosing the required declaration, information and their signature. This can help to speed up the registration process for electors and thus the Government have no current plan to prescribe a rolling registration form in legislation. However, we will consider the need for all electoral registration forms to be identically-worded and whether a rolling registration form should be prescribed, particularly in view of the Government' proposal to allow for the collection of personal identifiers on a voluntary basis.

Electoral Register

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department reimburses local authority chief executives for their work on electoral administration; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: Under section 8 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) 1983, each local authority must appoint an officer of the local authority to be electoral registration officer (ERO), responsible for maintaining the electoral register in the local authority area. Under section 35 of the RPA 1983, each local authority must appoint an officer of the local authority to be returning officer for local elections in that area. Local authority chief executives are often appointed as ERO and returning officer for their local authority.
	Under section 28 of the RPA 1983, the duties of the returning officer for constituencies at a parliamentary election will be discharged by the ERO appointed by the local authority (as acting returning officer). Under section 6 of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002, at European parliamentary elections, acting returning officers for parliamentary elections will act as local returning officers for the purposes of administering the election. However, the Local Elections (Ordinary Day of Elections in 2009) Order 2008, which provides for the local government elections in England in 2009 to take place on the same day as the European parliamentary elections on 4 June 2009, amends the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 to provide that the European elections on 4 June will be administered in England by local authority returning officers.
	Local authorities fund the costs of EROs in carrying out their registration duties and the costs of returning officers in administering local authority elections.
	The costs incurred by returning officers for administering parliamentary and European parliamentary elections are paid by the Government out of the Consolidated Fund.

Fraud: Social Security Benefits

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance he issues to the courts on the grant of an absolute discharge to a defendant convicted of benefit fraud offences.

Maria Eagle: The Secretary of State for Justice does not issue guidance to courts on sentencing disposals. This function is exercised by the independent Sentencing Guidelines Council. In May 2008, they published the Magistrates' Court Sentencing Guidelines which cover most of the offences regularly coming before a magistrates court, including that of making a false statement or representation to obtain social security benefit. The guideline can be found on the Sentencing Guidelines Council's website at:
	www.sentencing-guidelines.gov.uk

Government Departments: Public Consultations

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what guidance his Department provides to other Government departments on the legal requirements which they must meet when undertaking public consultations.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice does not provide guidance to other Government departments on the legal requirements that they must meet when undertaking public consultations as, in general, each department will rely on its in-house legal advice.

Homicide: Domestic Violence

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of those convicted of murder of a woman in each of the last five years had a previous conviction for domestic violence or had previously been reported to the police for domestic violence.

David Hanson: The requested information is not available. The Ministry of Justice's extract of data from the police national computer can provide information on the previous convictions of offenders. However, the database does not enable us to identify offences involving domestic violence, nor does it include information on the gender of murder victims.

House of Lords: Reform

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his timetable is for bringing forward new proposals on the future composition of the House of Lords.

Jack Straw: The Government's White Paper on Lords reform was published on 14 July 2008 following cross-party talks. Building on the consensus established in the talks, the Government intend to develop detailed proposals to be put to the electorate as a manifesto commitment at the next general election. Legislation would then be possible in the next Parliament.
	The White Paper set out three possible models for managing the transition to a fully reformed Chamber. The timetable for completing the transition to a fully reformed second Chamber will be very much determined by which of these models is adopted.

Legal Aid: Payments

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the highest ratio is of money owed by the Legal Services Commission to a solicitor's practice providing approved legal aid under its contract payments protocol to the standard monthly payment to such a solicitor's practice.

Shahid Malik: The LSC's overall objective on payments to legal service providers is to provide financial stability by paying them a regular sum—the standard monthly payment (SMP)—each month that matches their average claim value. The SMP is varied to take account of actual claims and aims to achieve 100 per cent. reconciliation balance.
	The current highest claim to payment ratio is for an outstanding balance of £14,800 against an SMP of £1,700. The SMP in this case has been based on the historic performance of the contract but there has been a particularly high claim received recently that has had an impact on the contract balance.
	The LSC will be changing the payments to pay off the balance over a three month period.

Legal Aid: Payments

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when the Legal Services Commission will have paid the £10,000 outstanding at the end of January to a solicitor's practice in Worthing, as referred to in communications by the hon. Member for West Worthing, under the payment arrangements which have been in place hitherto.

Shahid Malik: The provider in question has both a civil and a criminal contract with the LSC, each of which is reconciled separately to ensure that the LSC's standard monthly payments (SMP) to the provider equate over time to the value of the claims made. At February 2009, the balance of the civil contract account was £4,798 underpaid to the provider, but the balance of the criminal contract account was £8,904 overpaid in the provider's favour. However, in order to assist the provider's particular circumstances, the LSC has agreed to consider the February 2009 claims as soon as they are available from the provider and to take appropriate steps to ensure prompt payment.

Medical Treatments: EU Law

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions officials and Ministers of his Department have had with officials in Guernsey on the secondary legislation necessary to make the Medicines (Human and Veterinary) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2008, consistent with the European Medicines Directive; and when he expects such legislation to be introduced.

Michael Wills: The Ministry of Justice have had no discussions about ensuring secondary legislation is consistent with the European Medicines Directive. This is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. During a recent ministerial visit to the Island on 10 and 11 February 2009 Guernsey were asked about the timescale to implement the Medicines (Human and Veterinary) (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2008. Their aim is to submit the relevant commencement ordinance to the States of Deliberation by June and bring secondary legislation into force shortly afterwards.

Offenders

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what information his Department collects on offenders'  (a) employment history,  (b) educational history and  (c) health requirements for an offender's (i) pre-sentence report, (ii) supervision plan and (iii) induction in prison; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Information about employment and educational history (such as employment status, history, work related skills, school attendance and literacy and numeracy problems) and general health (including questions concerning drug and alcohol misuse and difficulty in coping and current psychological problems) is routinely collected as part of the process of interviewing and assessing offenders in order to prepare a pre sentence report and sentence and risk management plan. Information on other factors related to offending is also gathered. The information is recorded on the national Offender Assessment System (OASys), accessible to prison and probation staff.
	On reception and induction to a prison, the offender is interviewed by health professionals and may be referred to learning and skills professionals, drugs workers (Counselling Assessment Referral and Throughcare teams), and other relevant specialists.

Offenders: Housing

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of offenders who ended their residence in ClearSprings Bail Accommodation and Support Service properties in 2008 had an accommodation address to move on to; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many offenders have been released from prison into ClearSprings Bail Accommodation and Support Service properties; and how many defendants or offenders released into ClearSprings properties have since been returned to custody.

David Hanson: Data on the number and proportion of those in the Bail and Accommodation Service who have addresses to move on to after completion are being obtained and I will write to the hon. and learned Member as soon as possible.
	1,183 offenders and 1,657 defendants had been released into the Bail Accommodation and Support Service up to 23 February 2009. 176 of those released on bail completed their bail period by that date and were then sentenced to custody. Numbers of those otherwise returned to custody following breach while in the service or after completion of the service cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

Offenders: Veterans

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) account is taken by and (b) information is made available to offender managers of the services provided by the Service Personnel and Veteran's Agency in the drafting of supervision plans for offenders who have served in the armed forces; if he will ensure that such offenders are informed of the services for which they are eligible which are provided by (i) the Royal Brtish Legion, (ii) Combat Stress and (iii) Soldiers, Sailors and Airforce Association; and if he will make a Statement.

David Hanson: The Veterans Prison In-Reach Initiative, a partnership between the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence, promotes the help and support for veterans available from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) to prison establishments and Probation Offender Managers. The SPVA website and free-phone helpline is promoted to front-line staff which can assist the development of supervision plans for veteran offenders.
	As part of the Veterans Prison In Reach initiative we are running an extensive cross departmental campaign aimed at staff, including offender managers. ex veteran offenders and their families on services available. This exercise is conducted in close and active co-operation with the three veteran charities mentioned by my Hon. Friend. This helps to inform the sentence for ex veteran offenders.

Police Custody

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners were held in police cells in each police force area in 2008; and at what estimated cost.

Jack Straw: Operation Safeguard was activated between 12 October and 22 December 2006 and again from 16 January 2007 to 31 October 2008. Police cells have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells have been on stand-by since the end of October 2008.
	The following table details usage between 1 January 2008 and 22 September 2008 and gives the aggregate total of the number of prisoner nights in which a police cell was used. It is not possible to ascertain how many individual prisoners these totals cover.
	NOMS is invoiced by police forces in arrears for the use of cells activated under Operation Safeguard. Invoices to the value of £10,790,000 were paid between 1 April 2008 and 31 December 2008 for the activation of Operation Safeguard in the 2008-09 financial year.
	
		
			   Usage (prisoner nights) 
			 Avon and Somerset 35 
			 Bedfordshire 82 
			 Cambridgeshire 414 
			 Cheshire 1,558 
			 Cleveland 0 
			 Cumbria 89 
			 Derbyshire 341 
			 Devon and Cornwall 432 
			 Dorset 109 
			 Durham 377 
			 Dyfed Powys 0 
			 Essex 645 
			 Gloucestershire 1 
			 GMP 611 
			 Gwent 0 
			 Hampshire 475 
			 Hertfordshire 395 
			 Humberside 30 
			 Kent 948 
			 Lancashire 263 
			 Leicestershire 723 
			 Lincolnshire 2 
			 Merseyside 43 
			 MET 4,423 
			 Norfolk 12 
			 North Wales 453 
			 North Yorkshire 20 
			 Northamptonshire 43 
			 Northumbria 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 34 
			 South Wales 715 
			 South Yorkshire 194 
			 Staffordshire 58 
			 Suffolk 369 
			 Surrey 9 
			 Sussex 223 
			 TVP 688 
			 Warwickshire 893 
			 West Mercia 1 
			 West Midlands 939 
			 West Yorks 948 
			 Wiltshire 6 
			 Total 7,528

Political Parties: Finance

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 15 December 2008,  Official Report, columns 478-9W, on political parties: finance, whether an hon. Member who triggered their election expenses by virtue of prejudicing the electoral prospects of another candidate at the election would be required to count any subsequent expenditure from the communications allowance as regulated election spending.

Jack Straw: The restrictions on use of the communications allowance for political purposes are clear. As such, it should not be the case that expenditure for electoral purposes could be funded by the communications allowance in any event, whether the expenditure in question precedes or follows any separate statement that has the effect of prejudicing another candidate's electoral prospects.

Rape: Prosecutions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions were brought for rape against women in each of the last 10 years, broken down by police force area; and what the rate of conviction was in each case.

Maria Eagle: The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for rape against women, from 1998 to 2007 (latest available), by police force area, are shown in tables 1 and 2. The percentage of those proceeded against who were found guilty in England and Wales is shown in table 3.
	The figures given relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for rape against a female( 1) , by police force area( 2) , 1998 to 2007( 3, 4) , England and Wales 
			  Police force area  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 61 64 52 83 75 73 64 52 63 54 
			 Bedfordshire 27 31 27 25 27 17 31 24 19 16 
			 Cambridgeshire 15 35 26 30 22 13 23 25 21 25 
			 Cheshire 27 27 28 28 25 25 29 33 30 22 
			 City of London — — — — 3 — 1 — — — 
			 Cleveland 17 16 17 17 30 33 22 41 29 31 
			 Cumbria 11 14 6 31 21 16 15 15 13 15 
			 Derbyshire 34 38 35 33 44 49 54 61 39 48 
			 Devon and Cornwall 32 29 27 27 13 7 17 18 20 27 
			 Dorset 15 19 20 32 25 16 19 20 19 20 
			 Durham 21 22 32 34 31 20 30 24 32 26 
			 Essex 57 49 31 40 50 48 46 49 28 16 
			 Gloucestershire 11 13 17 11 29 12 18 14 26 30 
			 Greater Manchester 138 116 108 137 167 170 165 165 158 161 
			 Hampshire 66 82 79 89 93 89 81 95 57 80 
			 Hertfordshire 15 15 26 20 30 33 45 44 50 19 
			 Humberside 22 20 20 17 31 24 30 39 43 22 
			 Kent 41 31 43 40 64 46 48 50 57 57 
			 Lancashire 52 53 58 71 83 63 58 96 68 67 
			 Leicestershire 40 22 31 41 50 45 38 46 33 28 
			 Lincolnshire 24 16 15 18 29 25 23 26 13 10 
			 Merseyside 54 41 54 70 82 88 63 35 41 32 
			 Metropolitan Police 296 346 298 402 513 574 460 546 508 476 
			 Norfolk 17 22 13 19 17 17 9 4 3 10 
			 North Yorkshire 15 20 12 19 26 20 43 29 29 24 
			 Northamptonshire 13 1 1 5 2 6 16 16 12 2 
			 Northumbria 111 97 76 65 58 69 52 49 53 46 
			 Nottinghamshire 54 48 49 69 58 56 57 50 42 31 
			 South Yorkshire 36 22 42 46 51 51 59 56 60 42 
			 Staffordshire 24 25 — 53 50 44 41 43 39 39 
			 Suffolk 24 18 13 23 30 24 26 28 32 15 
			 Surrey 15 11 16 24 25 26 15 24 20 17 
			 Sussex 41 30 39 38 47 33 47 59 52 38 
			 Thames Valley 44 36 36 55 42 46 44 74 71 49 
			 Warwickshire 7 5 6 4 7 8 6 10 10 9 
			 West Mercia 32 24 18 40 43 31 36 40 33 23 
			 West Midlands 130 127 136 184 221 209 188 146 151 144 
			 West Yorkshire 101 142 125 162 132 128 97 98 54 65 
			 Wiltshire 25 11 6 18 27 25 23 28 19 20 
			 Dyfed-Powys 14 30 22 14 20 12 25 10 11 11 
			 Gwent 33 30 24 31 46 42 37 27 24 22 
			 North Wales 29 19 18 23 22 13 25 17 16 11 
			 South Wales 83 66 59 68 90 59 78 59 56 59 
			 Total 1,924 1,883 1,761 2,256 2,551 2,405 2,304 2,385 2,154 1,959 
			 (1) Includes: Rape of a female aged under 16: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female aged 16 or over: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female child under 13 by a male: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 5. (2) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (3) These data are on the principal offence basis. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of defendants found guilty at all courts for rape against a female( 1) , by police force area( 2) , 1998 to2007( 3, 4) , England and Wales 
			  Police force area  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Avon and Somerset 14 9 12 12 11 20 21 9 16 16 
			 Bedfordshire 2 5 5 8 5 5 12 7 5 8 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 4 3 7 8 2 3 9 6 6 
			 Cheshire 9 10 11 6 8 9 10 10 14 9 
			 City of London — — 2 — — — — — — — 
			 Cleveland 5 8 5 5 10 8 9 8 16 19 
			 Cumbria 4 4 3 6 4 8 9 6 5 7 
			 Derbyshire 6 10 10 4 6 13 19 12 20 10 
			 Devon and Cornwall 22 14 10 8 15 13 14 17 15 19 
			 Dorset 4 7 10 3 5 3 4 3 7 3 
			 Durham 8 4 3 3 4 1 8 6 5 4 
			 Essex 12 8 3 8 5 6 8 10 12 8 
			 Gloucestershire 2 3 6 — 2 7 — 3 11 5 
			 Greater Manchester 40 23 39 34 30 30 27 41 43 39 
			 Hampshire 20 21 19 17 20 10 14 26 27 17 
			 Hertfordshire 6 7 4 3 6 10 11 5 7 11 
			 Humberside 6 8 6 8 9 9 8 15 23 22 
			 Kent 9 13 15 16 12 6 10 14 15 23 
			 Lancashire 15 26 11 14 13 16 16 12 28 18 
			 Leicestershire 16 12 6 4 8 12 11 10 7 10 
			 Lincolnshire 5 3 5 4 8 4 4 12 7 4 
			 Merseyside 15 9 7 21 12 13 18 23 14 14 
			 Metropolitan Police 92 82 95 70 92 106 99 97 127 132 
			 Norfolk 2 2 4 5 6 4 9 9 14 11 
			 North Yorkshire 6 7 5 5 8 5 11 10 10 10 
			 Northamptonshire 4 7 5 8 8 7 12 7 9 8 
			 Northumbria 20 16 16 21 18 17 18 9 18 20 
			 Nottinghamshire 14 19 15 20 13 13 10 16 11 15 
			 South Yorkshire 10 13 5 13 13 19 22 33 24 23 
			 Staffordshire 9 13 — 7 11 9 15 12 6 16 
			 Suffolk 4 8 4 1 6 5 3 6 10 3 
			 Surrey 4 2 2 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 
			 Sussex 11 8 7 6 10 17 10 7 10 21 
			 Thames Valley 9 15 13 14 14 11 15 19 17 21 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 1 2 1 1 3 8 4 2 
			 West Mercia 10 8 5 5 12 9 9 10 12 9 
			 West Midlands 39 27 27 34 26 49 45 56 44 50 
			 West Yorkshire 43 38 36 20 15 29 44 42 31 37 
			 Wiltshire 2 1 4 2 8 6 4 3 9 7 
			 Dyfed-Powys 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 4 
			 Gwent 3 7 7 7 15 8 4 6 6 12 
			 North Wales 9 6 3 2 5 5 6 3 3 9 
			 South Wales 29 23 17 10 19 16 21 14 13 15 
			 Total 544 515 483 450 508 548 605 633 687 701 
			 (1) Includes: Rape of a female aged under 16: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female aged 16 or over: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female child under 13 by a male: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 5. (2) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level. Data have been included only in the England and Wales total. (3) These data are on the principal offence basis. (4) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Percentage( 1)  of defendants convicted at all courts for rape against a female( 2) , England and Wales( 3) , 1998 to 2007( 4, 5) 
			   1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 England and Wales 28 27 27 20 20 23 26 27 32 36 
			 (1) The percentages are based on the number of defendants convicted (table 2) against the number proceeded against (table 1). It is important to note that the found guilty column may exceed those proceeded against, as it may be the case that proceedings in the magistrates court took place in the preceding year to which the defendant was found guilty at the Crown court. It is also possible that a defendant may be found guilty for a different offence to that for which proceedings were taken. (2) Includes: Rape of a female aged under 16: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female aged 16 or over: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 1. Rape of a female child under 13 by a male: Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 5. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) These data are on the principal offence basis. (5) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform, Evidence and Analysis Unit.

Special Educational Needs: Tribunals

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 11 February 2009,  Official Report, column 2095W, on special educational needs: tribunals, how many of the appeals  (a) received,  (b) registered and  (c) which were successful occurred in each local authority area in each year.

Bridget Prentice: The First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) (SEND) does not keep the information which the hon. Member has requested in a readily available format. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	SEND does, however, keep annual data on received and registered appeals in relation to local authorities and these are available at the back of each Annual Report on the SEND website:
	www.sendist.gov.uk
	Reports are not currently on the web for the period 1998-2001 but SEND is in the process of making the information available in this format. The Tribunal will send this information to the hon. Member and place a copy in the Libraries of the House when this work is complete.
	The data on appeals received include appeals that are received by SEND that fall outside of the SEND jurisdiction. The data on appeals registered include all the appeals that are accepted by SEND as falling within its jurisdiction and which are taken forward to hearing and disposal.

Styal Prison

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent reports he has received on the safety and welfare of women prisoners at HMP Styal.

David Hanson: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons published a report of her announced Inspection of HMP Styal, carried out between 1 and 5 September 2008, on 26 February 2009. As with all such reports, the National Offender Management Service will provide a detailed response, in the form of an action plan, which will address each of the 209 recommendations. Ministers will approve the action plan.

TREASURY

BAA

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what  (a) meetings and  (b) correspondence (i) he, (ii) other Ministers in his Department and (iii) officials in his Department have had with representatives of BAA since 3 October 2008; when each meeting took place; who attended each meeting; and what the subject of each meeting was.

Yvette Cooper: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Bank Services

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates his Department has made of the proportion and total amount of lending within the UK by  (a) UK banks,  (b) foreign banks and  (c) non-banking institutions in each month since January 2007.

Ian Pearson: The Bank of England publishes statistics relating to lending, which are available at:
	http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/statistics/index.htm.
	These statistics include data on the amount of lending by UK banks, building societies and other lenders. The UK National Accounts publishes data on loans attributable to foreign banks and securities issued by UK residents and they are available at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase

Bank Services: Regulation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment  (a) his Department and  (b) the Financial Services Authority has made of the effect of commission structures on the quality of investment advice to (i) private investors and (ii) public authorities, with particular reference to advice to public authorities on investment in Icelandic banks.

Ian Pearson: Financial advisers are regulated by the financial services authority (FSA) and it is for the FSA to determine whether or not any particular firm is meeting its regulatory obligations. Regarding investment advice to private investors, the FSA launched the retail distribution review over two years ago in order to address persistent problems in the retail investment market which may be undermining consumer confidence and the effective operation of competition. This included the effect of commission structures on the quality of investment advice. In November 2008, the FSA published a feedback statement setting out proposed changes in this area, including proposals that would require financial advisers to set their own charges, rather than product providers being able to determine how much the adviser firms receive through commission. Regarding public authorities, local authorities are responsible for their own investment decisions and guidance issued by Communities and Local Government requires them to produce an annual investment strategy which is approved by the full council.

Banks

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what meetings  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers in his Department have held with UK banks in each year since 1997; what issues were discussed; who was present at each meeting; whether a record of each meeting was kept; and if he will make a statement.
	(2)  whether the minutes of meetings held between  (a) officials in his Department and  (b) Ministers in his Department and banks (i) in temporary public ownership and (ii) recapitalised with public funds will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings and discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings and discussions.

Banks

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department has obtained on the pension arrangements of all current directors of banks which are now supported by public funding or guarantees.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 4 March 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the Statement made by the Chancellor on 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 373.
	The Treasury and UK Financial Investments Ltd. (UKFI) have been liaising with the board of the banks of which they are major shareholders on remuneration policy. This includes work to ensure that remuneration policies are in line with the Government's principles on remuneration, including no rewards for failure. Directors' remuneration arrangements—including pensions arrangements as appropriate—are disclosed in the banks' annual report and accounts.

Banks

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the European Commission has approved the bank credit guarantees scheme.

Ian Pearson: The European Commission has approved the bank credit guarantee scheme. The approval can be found by clicking on the following links to the Commission's website:
	http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/1496&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
	http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/2057

Banks: Iran

William Hague: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of the Financial Action Task Force of 25 February 2009, what counter-measures he plans to take to protect the UK financial sector from money laundering and financing of terrorism risks emanating from Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Treasury has issued an advisory notice to all businesses regulated under the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 and all other persons authorised by the Financial Services Authority alerting them to the high-risk nature of transactions with Iran due to the serious deficiencies in its systems to combat money-laundering and terrorist financing. The Treasury is also actively considering what further steps may be necessary to ensure the UK financial sector is protected from this risk, and is in discussion with international partners.

Banks: Regulation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice the Bank of England gave his Department in 1997 on the merits of the transfer of regulatory authority for the banking system from the Bank of England to the Financial Services Authority.

Ian Pearson: Conversations between Governor and Chancellor must remain privileged.

Banks: Regulation

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which banks were regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) in each year from 2001 to 2008; and how many are now regulated by the FSA.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Services Authority publishes a list of 'banks' on the FSA website. The list is updated monthly and goes back to 2001. It can be found at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/Library/Other_publications/Banks/index.shtml

Banks: USA

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what powers the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has to investigate the operations of subsidiaries of British-based banks operating in the United States; and what reports he received from the FSA on the implications for the United Kingdom banking sector of the operations of UK banking subsidiaries in the United States sub-prime mortgage market;
	(2)  what reports he has received from the Financial Services Authority on its communication with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on its inquiries into the practices of subsidiaries of British banks operating in the United States securitization of mortgages market.

Ian Pearson: Firms carrying on a regulated activity, by way of business, within the UK, are required to be authorised with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and are subject to FSA regulation, unless they benefit from a statutory exemption. To the extent that an overseas subsidiary of a British-based bank's activities take place entirely outside the UK and do not involve services to UK firms or individuals, those activities are likely to be outside the scope of UK financial services regulation and not subject to FSA authorisation requirements.
	As the memorandum of understanding between HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the FSA sets out, the tripartite authorities have regular meetings.

Children: Poverty

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of children in West Lancashire constituency who have been taken out of poverty as a result of tax credits.

Stephen Timms: Tax credits play a key role in making work pay and reducing poverty, and have helped to lift 600,000 children out of relative poverty since 1998-99.
	Estimates of the number of recipient families with tax credits, including the number of children in these families, by constituency, as at December 2008, are available in the HMRC snapshot publication "Child and working tax credits statistics. Geographical analyses. December 2008". This is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Angela Eagle: For information on spending on official entertainment I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1892W to the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr. Hammond). The Treasury's accounting systems do not separately identify alcohol and food spending within official entertainment and the information could not be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold.

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department has spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: The Treasury's expenditure on newspapers and periodicals in 2007-08 was £143,000.
	For information on previous years, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 2 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1743W and 25 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1346W.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Angela Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services his Department has made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: There have been no payments made to Deborah Mattinson or Opinion Leader Research Ltd. since December 2007.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of travel by train by staff in his Department was in each year since 1997.

Angela Eagle: Information on travel by train was not separately identified within the Treasury's accounting system prior to 2005-06 and could not now be provided within the disproportionate costs threshold. Spending on UK and overseas train travel since then was £400,000 in 2005-06, £525,000 in 2006-07 and £523,000 in 2007-08. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Treasury's manual on travel and subsistence.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on staff surveys in 2008; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Angela Eagle: HM Treasury conducts an annual staff survey at the end of every calendar year. This is contracted out to Towers Perrin-ISR. HM Treasury also conducts exit surveys of staff who leave the Department and new starter surveys. These surveys are contracted out to Talent Drain. The breakdown of costs is not available as the contracts are still current so this information is commercially sensitive.

Economic Situation: USA

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effect on the UK economy of measures introduced by the US administration to assist the US economy.

Ian Pearson: The Government continue to work closely with its international partners to address the global economic slowdown. The 2009 Budget on 22 April will provide updated forecasts for the UK economy and will take into account all relevant factors.

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Gordon Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely effects of recent vehicle excise duty changes on car dealership businesses.

Angela Eagle: holding answer 2 February 2009
	Vehicle Excise Duty refund rules have changed so that only a registered vehicle keeper may apply. By advising their customers to take the tax disc for a refund when selling a car to the trade and by deducting the refund value from the price paid for these cars, car dealerships can preserve the financial benefit of refunds for all.
	Car dealers benefit from £165 trade licences, transferable between cars for delivery and demonstration purposes, which obviate the need to pay other rates of Vehicle Excise Duty on their stock for the first three months. No dealer will pay more than £5 extra under the standard Vehicle Excise Duty rates for 2009-10. First year rates of Vehicle Excise Duty will be introduced from April 2010 for previously unlicensed new cars.

Financial Markets: Abuse

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used by the Financial Services Authority to determine whether market activity on the part of any individual or organisation designed to undermine a specific financial institution constitutes economic subversion.

Ian Pearson: Part VIII, section 118 of the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) defines seven types of behaviour under the civil market abuse regime, which run parallel to criminal offences. The FSA Code of Market Conduct is a code of practice built upon FSMA that gives appropriate guidance to those determining whether or not behaviour amounts to market abuse.

Financial Services Compensation Scheme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009,  Official Report, column 906W, on banks: finance, if he will make an estimate of the cost to  (a) building societies and  (b) banks (i) in total and (ii) as a percentage of (A) pre-tax profits for the last three financial years and (B) the total balance sheet of each type of organisation of the management expenses bill levied by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Ian Pearson: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is responsible for making the rules regarding the levies the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may raise to meet compensation costs and management expenses. The Government consider, consistent with EC law, that the cost of financing deposit-guarantee schemes should be borne, in principle, by deposit-taking firms themselves.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North, dated 28 January 2009, acknowledged by his Department with the reference 3/08679/2009, on his constituent.

Stephen Timms: I have replied to my hon. Friend.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to provide a substantive reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall North dated 15 January 2009 to the Tax Credit Office on a constituent, acknowledged by the Tax Credit Office with the reference 2009/01002/33; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply.

Stephen Timms: HMRC sent a reply to my hon. Friend on 6 March 2009 and apologises for the delay.

Public Sector: Procurement

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria are used to define local in respect of prioritisation of local suppliers in public procurement policy.

Angela Eagle: The UK is bound by law and international obligations to make public procurement opportunities available to suppliers from across the EU and certain other countries that are signatories to the Agreement on Government Procurement, and not to discriminate against such suppliers. UK suppliers benefit from other countries' adherence to the same obligations.

Public Sector: Procurement

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Oxford, East of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 530W, on public expenditure: small businesses, when he expects implementation of each recommendation in the Glover report to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Projects are under way to meet the 12 recommendations of the Glover report, "Accelerating the SME Economic Engine" which is concerned with improving SME access to public sector procurement. All recommendations will be delivered by the end of 2010 with some projects and a training package covering key parts of the recommendations to be delivered before the end of 2009.

Revenue and Customs

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the net effect on the expenditure of HM Revenue and Customs of the proposed closure of tax offices in the next five years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the effect on the level of HM Revenue and Customs expenditure on accommodation costs from the proposed closure of tax offices in the next five years.

Stephen Timms: The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Estate Consolidation Programme covers the period between April 2007 and March 2012.
	There will be short-term costs, including staff redeployment costs, associated with the closure of offices, but reliable figures will only be established once solutions have been found for all staff and the accommodation has been vacated. HMRC expects to achieve cumulative accommodation cost savings of £231 million over the period April 2007 to March 2012. Further annual savings of around £90 million a year will accrue beyond March 2012.
	There will be savings resulting from business efficiencies as well as from a reduction in the size of its estate.

Revenue and Customs: Data Protection

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of HM Revenue and Customs' new data security packet rule book.

Stephen Timms: I have today placed a copy of the HMRC Data Security Pocket Rulebook in the Library. This has been redacted to remove some procedural and contact details for security reasons.

Senior Tripartite Committee

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what dates meetings of the Senior Tripartite Committee were held in each of the last two years; and how many times the committee has met in each year since its establishment.

Ian Pearson: The three authorities meet at a number of levels under the auspices of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a very regular basis. The Standing Committee meets at least monthly (and more recently weekly and even daily) to discuss financial stability issues and can convene at any time when necessary. As a matter of course, we do not comment on meetings of the Standing Committee.

Social Security Benefits

Justine Greening: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what modelling he undertook for the purposes of the pre-Budget report 2008 on predicted levels of  (a) job seeker's allowance claims and  (b) incapacity benefit claims in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11; and whether the Government's proposals on welfare reform announced on 10 December 2008 were taken into account in that modelling.

Yvette Cooper: [holding answer 16 December 2008): The forecasts for jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and incapacity benefits for the pre-Budget report (PBR) 2008 were based on the latest available information at the time of publication, relating to past trends of relevant caseloads and expected future economic conditions. The JSA forecast uses the claimant unemployment assumption, which is audited by the National Audit Office (NAO), as described in Box B1 on page 188 of the PBR 2008.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2009,  Official Report, column 895W, on stamp duty and tax, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the stamp duty land tax holiday for first-time housebuyers in the next 12 months.

Ian Pearson: An estimate could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

TNT: Taxation

Roger Berry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has imposed any financial penalty on TNT companies for tax irregularities in the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: I am unable to comment on any company's tax affairs because of the requirement for taxpayer confidentiality.

VAT: Tax Rates and Bands

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses which  (a) have not passed on the reduction in value added tax to customers and  (b) have replaced the value added tax reduction with other promotional offers.

Stephen Timms: HMRC has made no such estimates. ONS statistics for the consumer price index in January show that 70 per cent. of standard rated goods have had their prices reduced. The report can be found at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/cpi0209.pdf

Vulture Funds

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the Answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 227-29W, on vulture funds, what progress the Government has made in dealing with vulture funds; and if he will bring forward proposals to prohibit their operation.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given to him on 5 March 2009,  Official Report, column 1815W.

HEALTH

Antidepressants: Children

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many courses of anti-depressant medication were prescribed to children under 16 years of age in each strategic health authority area in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many children aged under  (a) 10,  (b) 12,  (c) 14 and  (d) 16 years were prescribed anti-depressant medication in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: This information is not collected centrally.

Baby Care Units: West Midlands

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the West Midlands have had to travel more than 50 miles to access neo-natal emergency treatment in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The Government set out their policy for neonatal services in the "Report of the Review Group on Neonatal Intensive Care", which was published in 2003. A copy is available in the Library.
	Neonatal networks have established a more structured, collaborative approach to caring for newborn babies. This includes the designation of some hospitals that are specially equipped to care for the sickest and smallest babies, with other hospitals providing high dependency and special care as close to home as possible. They are also aiming to help to reduce the number of long distance transfers—over 96 per cent. of babies are cared for within their local network.

Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in each  (a) age group and  (b) NHS trust area were given prescriptions for an (i) intra-uterine system, (ii) intra-uterine device and (iii) sub-dermal implant in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community by primary care trust for 2004-05 to 2007-08 have been placed in the Library. Information is not held prior to 2004-05. Data on the number of patients receiving a prescription, and also data by age, are not available.
	Data supplied by community contraceptive clinics by age and trust for 2005-06 to 2007-08 have also been placed in the Library. Data for the seven years preceding 2005-06 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Contraceptives

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in each age group were fitted with an intra-uterine  (a) system and  (b) device in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available is shown in the following tables.
	The following tables shows data on the number of prescription items dispensed in the community. Data by age are not available.
	
		
			  Intra-uterine system items 
			  Financial year  Number (Thousand) 
			 1998-99 33.934 
			 1999-2000 39.630 
			 2000-01 46.303 
			 2001-02 52.397 
			 2002-03 58.104 
			 2003-04 63.563 
			 2004-05 68.376 
			 2005-06 79.445 
			 2006-07 85.927 
			 2007-08 95.522 
		
	
	
		
			  Intra-uterine device items 
			  Financial year  Number (Thousand) 
			 1998-99 74.822 
			 1999-2000 70.132 
			 2000-01 59.295 
			 2001-02 53.186 
			 2002-03 49.215 
			 2003-04 45.224 
			 2004-05 41.876 
			 2005-06 41.766 
			 2006-07 40.806 
			 2007-08 39.937 
			  Source: Prescription information is taken from the Prescription Cost Analysis system, supplied by the Prescription Services Division of the NHS Business Services Authority, and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community in England i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. The data do not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals. 
		
	
	The following tables shows first contacts with women at community contraception clinics by method, age and year.
	
		
			  First contacts with women at community contraceptive clinics by primary method of contraception and age ,  1998-99 to 2005-06 
			  Number of first contacts (Thousand) 
			Age 
			   All ages  Under 16  16-19  20-24  25-34  35 and over 
			  1998-99   
			 IU Devices 63.4 0.2 1.7 6.7 25.2 29.6 
			 Implant 1.3 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.6 0.3 
			
			  1999- 20 00   
			 IU Devices 66.7 0.2 2.4 7.8 26.3 30.0 
			 Implant 2.4 0.0 0.2 0.5 1.1 0.6 
			
			  2000-01   
			 IU Devices 64.8 0.2 2.3 7.6 25.4 29.3 
			 Implant 3.4 0.1 0.4 0.8 1.4 0.7 
			
			  2001-02   
			 IU Devices 66.9 0.2 1.8 7.9 25.4 31.6 
			 Implant 5.0 0.1 0.6 1.3 2.0 1.0 
			
			  2002-03   
			 IU Devices 67.8 0.3 2.2 7.9 25.3 32.2 
			 Implant 7.8 0.2 1.2 2.4 2.7 1.4 
			
			  2003-04   
			 IU Devices 58.8 0.2 2.0 7.4 22.3 26.9 
			 Implant 12.4 0.3 2.2 3.6 4.2 2.1 
			 IU System 10.2 0.0 0.2 0.9 3.5 5.7 
			
			  2004-05   
			 IU Devices 50.1 0.3 1.7 6.2 18.8 23.1 
			 Implant 16.6 0.4 3.1 4.7 5.6 2.8 
			 IU System 15.2 0.0 0.2 1.1 4.8 9.1 
			
			  2005-06   
			 IU Devices 49.1 0.2 1.5 6.0 18.8 22.7 
			 Implant 25.7 0.8 5.6 7.3 8.1 3.9 
			 IU System 19.6 0.0 0.3 1.5 5.8 11.9 
			  Source: The NHS Information Centre KT31 return. 
		
	
	
		
			  First contacts with women at community contraceptive clinics by primary method of contraception and age each specified year England 
			  Number of first contacts (Thousand) 
			Age 
			   All a ges  Under 15  15  16-17  18-19  20-24  25-34  35 and over 
			  2006-07 
			 IU Devices 47.0 0.1 0.1 0.5 1.0 5.8 18.4 21.2 
			 IU System 24.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.9 6.9 14.6 
			 Implant 35.7 0.4 1.0 3.7 4.4 9.9 11.0 5.3 
			  
			  2007-08 
			 IU Devices 46.7 0.1 0.1 0.5 1.0 5.9 18.7 20.4 
			 IU System 25.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.9 7.3 15.3 
			 Implant 46.8 0.6 1.4 5.3 5.8 12.9 14.5 6.3 
			  Source:  The NHS Information Centre KT31 return.

Dementia

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how frequently the Older People and Dementia Programme Board meets; when the Board will decide on mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the National Dementia Strategy; if he will publish the details of the monitoring arrangements once they are agreed; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The Department has decided that there is to be a separate National Dementia Strategy Programme Board. The frequency of meetings has not been set but the first meeting of this new board will be on 31 March 2009 and any decisions about the monitoring arrangements will be discussed at this time.

Dental Services: Dacorum

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people from Hemel Hempstead there were on the lists of NHS dentists in Dacorum in each of the last 15 years.

Ann Keen: Information is not available for years prior to 1997.
	The number of patients registered with a national health service dentist, in England, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 is available in Annex A of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006". Information is provided by primary care trust (PCT) and by strategic health authority (SHA). The boundaries used are as at 31 March 2006.
	This information is based on the old contractual arrangements which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	Under the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006, patients do not have to be registered with an NHS dentist to receive NHS care. The closest equivalent measure to 'registration' is the number of patients receiving NHS dental services ("patients seen") over a 24-month period. However, this is not directly comparable to the registration data for earlier years.
	The number of patients seen in the previous 24 months in England, as at quarterly intervals, from 31 March 2006 to 30 September 2008 is available in Table D3 of Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics, Quarter 2: 30 September 2008" report. Information is provided by PCT and SHA and is based on the PCT boundaries which came into effect on 1 October 2006.
	This report, published on 26 February 2009, has been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalstats0809q2

Dental Services: Dacorum

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists there were with practices in Dacorum in each of the last 15 years.

Ann Keen: The numbers of national health service dentists, as at 31 March, 1997 to 2006 are available in Annex E of the "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report England: 31 March 2006". Information is available by strategic health authority (SHA) and by primary care trust (PCT). The boundaries used are as at 31 March 2006. Validated information is not available for earlier years.
	This measure counted the number of NHS dentists recorded on PCT lists as at 31 March each year. This information is based on the old contractual arrangements, which were in place up to and including 31 March 2006. This report, published on 23 August 2006, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity
	The numbers of dentists with NHS activity during the years ending 31 March, 2007 and 2008 are available in Table G1 of Annex 3 of the "NHS Dental Statistics for England: 2007-08" report. Information is provided by SHA and by PCT and is based on the PCT boundaries which came into effect on 1 October 2006. This information is based on the new dental contractual arrangements, introduced on 1 April 2006. This report, published on 21 August 2008, has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NHS Information Centre website at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dental0708
	Following a recent consultation exercise, this measure is based on a revised methodology and therefore supersedes previously published workforce figures relating to the new dental contractual arrangements. It is not comparable to the information collected under the old contractual arrangements. This revised methodology counted the number of dental performers with NHS activity recorded via FP17 claim forms in each year ending 31 March.
	Further work is currently being undertaken to determine whether the new definition used under the new dental contractual arrangements can be applied to the years under the old contractual arrangements to produce a consistent time series.
	Both sets of published figures relate to head counts and do not differentiate between full-time and part-time dentists, nor do they account for the fact that some dentists may do more NHS work than others.

Departmental Data Protection

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what scanning for vulnerabilities his Department conducts of each of its IT devices; what method is used for IT device scans; and how many vulnerabilities have been detected as a result of such scans in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department uses outside specialist companies to carry out information technology security health checks of the Department's critical information systems and this routinely includes vulnerability scanning as part of the service. As these are project or system related there has been no requirement to consolidate records of vulnerabilities discovered as part of this process.

Departmental Equality

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) role and  (b) objectives are of each of his Department's equality champions.

Phil Hope: The Department currently has four director general level equality champions as follows:
	Race—Permanent Secretary, Hugh Taylor;
	Disability—Chief Nursing Officer, Dame Christine Beasley;
	Gender—Director-General Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnerships, David Behan; and
	Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender—Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson.
	Their role is to provide leadership and support to staff and staff groups within the Department around each of the equality challenges listed, including speaking at staff events and providing mentoring and advice as necessary.
	The Department is currently reviewing and strengthening all of its equalities and human rights functions; this will include functions that focus on the wider health and social care system as well those that look to support staff within the Department.

Diabetes: Norfolk

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce the frequency with which type 2 diabetes is acquired in Norfolk.

Ann Keen: This Government continue to support the implementation of the Diabetes National Service Framework (NSF) and work with key partners to support the national health service in driving forward improvements in diabetes care, including the prevention of diabetes. The Department of Health, in partnership with NHS Diabetes (formerly known as the National Diabetes Support Team) and Diabetes UK, has published reports, documents and toolkits in a number of areas that are intended to provide quality information and standards for commissioners and health care providers to help them plan and deliver services envisaged in the NSF. However, primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning diabetes services that meet the needs of their whole population.

Diabetes: Obesity

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by his Department on promoting awareness of the link between obesity and diabetes in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Ann Keen: Since 2005, the Department has through the Section 64 General Grant Scheme (now known as Third Sector Investment Programme), given a total of £305,976 in support of three project that include raising awareness of type 2 diabetes.
	In January 2008, the Government launched "Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross Government Strategy for England", a copy of which has already been placed in the Library. As a part of this £372 million strategy, £75 million has been allocated for the Change4Life campaign. The campaign will support and encourage people to live healthily by helping them to make significant and sustained choices to behaviours around diet and physical activity. This will also prevent obesity and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases.
	In addition, the NHS Next Stage Review, "High Quality Care for All", published on the 30 June 2008, announced the introduction of the 'Reduce your Risk' campaign, which will raise awareness of vascular disease risk factors (including diabetes). A copy of the publication has already been placed in the Library.

Doctors: Working Hours

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many junior doctors in each NHS Trust worked more than 56 hours per week in the latest period for which information is available.

Ann Keen: This information is not held centrally.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on genito-urinary medicine clinics in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimated gross national health service expenditure on genitourinary medicine (GUM) for the period 2003-04 to 2006-07, the latest year for which figures are available, is set out in the following table. This includes expenditure on GUM clinics.
	
		
			   Gross expenditure (£ million) 
			 2003-04 2,809 
			 2004-05 3,097 
			 2005-06 3,507 
			 2006-07 3,755 
		
	
	The introduction of new sub-categories and a change in the methodology means that a comparison between 2005-06 and 2006-07 is not possible.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients attended genito-urinary medicine clinics in the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Data are only available on the number of diagnoses made in a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic, not the number of patients diagnosed. Some individuals may be diagnosed with several co-infections and each diagnosis will be counted separately. The following table gives the total number of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and other diagnoses in a GUM clinic in England between 2003 and 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.
	
		
			   New STI diagnoses  Other STI diagnoses( 1)  Other GUM clinic diagnoses( 2) 
			 2003 311,572 185,285 312,113 
			 2004 325,784 200,080 308,026 
			 2005 327,911 219,096 303,523 
			 2006 333,739 223,750 307,736 
			 2007 354,628 239,364 351,974 
			 (1) Includes recurrent and follow-up presentations. (2) Includes other conditions requiring treatment such as candidiasis and urinary tract infections.  Notes: 1. The data available from the KC60 statutory returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. Diagnoses made in other clinical settings, such as General Practice, are not recorded in the KC60 dataset. 2. The information provided has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 3. Data are unavailable for 2008.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 returns

Hospital Beds

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds there were in each NHS trust in England in each year from 2000-01 to 2007-08, with the data adjusted to reflect the current configuration of trusts.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of occupied and available bed days and day only beds is collected annually, from national health service providers. The document, "Average daily number of available beds, NHS organisations in England, 2000-01 to 2007-08", which shows data for each organisation as they were submitted in the relevant year, thus reflecting the NHS structure at the time of the data collection, has been placed in the Library.
	Bed numbers have fallen because hospitals are dealing with patients more efficiently and more people are treated in primary care settings—experts all agree that this is the best way to deliver health care to patients.
	Advances in medical technology and shorter stays for routine operations mean fewer beds are needed across the service—this is part of a long-term downward trend in the average length of stay in hospital. But where the NHS needs more beds, there are more beds. For example, in day surgery, the number of day-only beds has increased by more than 29 per cent. since 2000-01, and we now have 55 per cent. more critical care beds and 116 per cent. more intermediate care beds than we had in 2000.

Hospitals: Standards

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what best practice guidelines have been issued by his Department on  (a) the management of outpatient services and  (b) the booking of appointments at NHS hospital trusts in the last 10 years.

Ben Bradshaw: Due to the breadth of the question and the time period covered, it has been necessary to undertake a departmental library search using key word criteria taken from the question.
	The results of the search can be found in the document, library search—best practice guidance out-patient services and booking of hospital appointments, which has been placed in the Library.
	Current guidance in relation to choose and book is available from the choose and book website at:
	www.chooseandbook.nhs.uk/staff/implement/guides
	The National Health Service Institute for Innovation and Improvement has also published 'no delays' good practice guidance, which is available on their website at:
	www.institute.nhs.uk/no_delays/introduction/no_delays.html

Ketamine

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were admitted to hospital because of the effects of the drug ketamine in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not collected centrally.

Ketamine

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been treated for ketamine addiction in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: Information about clients in contact with structured drug treatment in England is collected via the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS), which is managed by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.
	NDTMS does not record ketamine separately from other hallucinogens which includes mescaline; psilocybin; lysergide (LSD); phencyclidine; dimethyltriptamine; bromodimethoxyphenethylamine as well as unspecified hallucinogens.
	The following data refer to clients in structured drug treatment who identify hallucinogens as their main drug of misuse.
	
		
			   All persons 
			 2003-04 90 
			 2004-05 127 
			 2005-06 186 
			 2006-07 240 
			 2007-08 402

Medical Records: Databases

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department has taken to initiate the integration of Picture Archiving and Communications Systems images into the Care Records Service.

Ben Bradshaw: Making electronic images captured via picture archiving and communications (PACS) systems, a component part of the national health service care record has been a core objective since the inception of the PACS project. Now that PACS systems have been deployed into every acute trust, the key integration challenge is how to integrate images and their related radiology reports so that the two are always associated.
	Full integration of radiology reports and digital images to support clinical care represents a major development task and is incorporated in the requirements of our local service providers (LSP) and their respective solutions.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on what date the UK authorities were informed by Novartis that a staphylococcus aureas bacterial contamination had been found in a sample of the solvent used in meningitis C vaccine outside the UK;
	(2)  how many samples of meningitis C vaccine have been additionally tested for sterility in the UK following notification by Novartis of contamination of a sample elsewhere than in the UK; and when such tests were  (a) begun and  (b) completed;
	(3)  when the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency issued a cascade alert concerning the meningitis C vaccine.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department was informed by Novartis on 23 February 2009 that  staphylococcus aureu s bacterial contamination had been found in samples of the solvent used in meningitis C vaccine. The material in question had not been distributed in the United Kingdom but came from the same manufactured batches that had been distributed in the UK. The Department reminded Novartis of its statutory responsibility to inform the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Novartis contacted the Defective Medicines Report Centre (DMRC) at MHRA on 24 February by telephone initially, then followed up with an e-mail.
	The MHRA issued a class 2 drug alert on 25 February 2009. The drug alert informed recipients of the issue and identified potentially affected batches.
	On the evening of 25 February 2009 a chief medical officer (CMO) message was sent via the central alert system (formerly known as the public health link) as a class 1, immediate action alert, for immediate cascade (within six hours) to relevant health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses, accident and emergency departments and community pharmacists. At the same time a pager message was also sent that evening to all recipients of the CMO message, instructing them to immediately cascade this information to all relevant health professionals. Local immunisation co-ordinators are direct recipients of CMO messages via the central alert system, and would have received the electronic alert that night.
	The Department's immunisation team separately contacted all primary care trusts immunisation co-ordinators on the evening of 25 February and informed them of the GP surgeries in their areas that had received the batches to be withdrawn.
	The MHRA has arranged for additional sterility tests to be carried out on the affected solvent batch in the UK. A total of 120 solvent samples will be tested. The MHRA is awaiting delivery of test samples. Sterility testing takes at least 14 days, so the date on which the tests are completed will depend on when the samples are put on test. The MHRA understands that Novartis are testing an additional 360 solvent samples. Novartis testing started on 26 February 2009 and will be completed on 13 March 2009.

Myasthenia Gravis

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to support people with myasthenia gravis; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Although there is no cure for myasthenia gravis, those living with this condition are able to access the full range of national health service health and social care, as well a range of treatments that can control the distressing symptoms of this condition for most people. These can include the use of anticholinesterase drugs such as pyridostigmine, the surgical removal of the thymus gland, and drugs such as prednisolone (a steroid) and azathioprine that suppress the immune system.

NHS Treatment Centres: Southampton

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS was of the refurbishment required for the new independent sector treatment centre in Southampton.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. The hon. Member may wish to raise this directly with the South Central Strategic Health Authority.

NHS: ICT

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) capital and  (b) revenue costs of the implementation of picture archiving and communication systems in England have been since the inception of the NHS National Programme for IT.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department's central expenditure on picture archiving and communications (PACS) systems provided under national programme for information technology contracts has been on central development and management costs, and the cost of cluster-level data stores. The total of these costs, to 31 January 2009, are in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Development/management costs  Data stores 
			 Revenue 18.6 44.497 
			 Capital 0.46 93.037 
		
	
	The local deployment costs of PACS systems were paid by the relevant national health service trusts, details of which are not held centrally.

NHS: Public Appointments

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of chief executive officers of NHS trusts are clinically qualified.

Ann Keen: This information is not collected centrally.

NHS: Publications

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure the accuracy of literature it produces relating to the provision of NHS services.

Ben Bradshaw: Individual directorates within the Department are responsible for the content and accuracy of the literature they produce, including that relating to the provision of national health service (NHS) services. Where relevant, officials work closely with NHS colleagues. Approval procedures may vary in detail from directorate to directorate but will always include sign-off of content by a senior policy official.

NHS: Publications

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recourse is available to individuals who dispute the accuracy of written information and literature produced by his Department on the provision of NHS services.

Ben Bradshaw: Individuals who wish to comment on the accuracy of written information and literature by the Department on the provision of national health service services may write to the Department in the normal way.
	Should they wish to make a formal complaint, they may do so to the Department's customer service centre. Each complaint is investigated thoroughly, and if upheld, recommendations are made internally to ensure that future service is improved. Wherever possible, the Department aims to respond to complainants within 20 working days.
	Details of how to make a complaint to the Department can be found on the Department's website.
	If a complainant is unhappy with the Department's response they may ask their Member of Parliament to request that the parliamentary and health service ombudsman investigates the complaint and the way it was handled. The ombudsman carries out independent investigations into complaints about Government Departments.

NHS: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve the measurement and analysis of health outcomes in NHS trusts.

Ann Keen: In November 2008, the Department set out the vision for developing quality indicators including outcomes of care, where available, and using them to improve the quality of services in the national health service in "Measuring for Quality Improvement (MQI)—The Approach". A copy of this document has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	MQI aims to support measurement at every tier of the NHS from national to local clinical team level, making available measures that already exist, enabling data to be collected and analysed, and facilitating new indicator development.
	The Department is currently collating feedback on measurement requirements from a range of NHS and professional organisations and will shortly be publishing an 'assured menu' of available quality indicators for use at local level.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are establishing quality observatories, which will be centres of expertise in analysing these quality indicators to support quality improvement.
	The Department is also working with NHS trusts and SHAs to identify the appropriate measures to report in quality accounts, which all NHS trusts will be obliged to publish, beginning in 2010.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's implementation update for the European Working Time Directive, published on 30 January 2009, what comprehensive position statements on Working Time Directive readiness by specialty for each trust his Department has received from strategic health authorities; and if he will place a copy of each in the Library.

Ann Keen: The majority of United Kingdom doctors in training already work within the current hours requirement. The over riding objective of the UK Government in their health policy is to ensure the quality and safety of patient care.
	We also want to ensure that health services are managed so that they provide doctors with a good work-life balance and quality training.
	Many parts of the UK health services have already made good progress and successfully implemented sustainable solutions providing quality training and ensuring patient safety.
	The Government are working together with health services and the representatives of the medical profession on the European Working Time Directive solutions. Clinical leadership is key to achieving a positive outcome.
	We are still undertaking detailed analysis of the information from the quality assurance process.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of NHS organisations that will request exclusions and derogations from the requirements of the EU Working Time Directive in the next 12 months.

Ann Keen: There is no such estimate.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the percentage of hospital trusts which meet the requirements of the European Working Time Directive with which they must comply by August 2009.

Ann Keen: There is no such current estimate.
	There is an absolute commitment to support the national health service in achieving compliance with the European Working Time Directive by 1 August 2009. The expectation is that all services will strive to be fully compliant and all but a very few services with special difficulties will be compliant by this date.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistical analysis his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects of the EU Working Time Directive on the NHS.

Ann Keen: The Department has requested data from strategic health authorities (SHAs) to try to gain the most accurate picture of European Working Time Directive compliance across the national health service through the quality assurance process.
	We continue to work closely with SHA colleagues and medical representatives to analyse and evaluate in detail what the data show.

NHS: Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what measures and under what budgetary headings the funds allocated by his Department to support implementation of the EU Working Time Directive in 2009-10 will be spent.

Ann Keen: The Department is making a total of £310 million available by 2009-10 to support European Working Time Directive implementation in recurrent primary care trust allocations.
	The funding should be targeted to services only where they meet one or more of the following conditions:
	the services are planning to be compliant by 1 August 2009;
	the services have a sustainable plan to meet compliance after 1 August 2009 and it has been agreed that their special difficulties warrant inclusion in the Working Time Regulation schedule; and
	the services are already compliant but require ongoing support for this to continue.

Nuffield Speech and Language Unit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Chief Executive of the Ealing Primary Care Trust and  (b) the Chief Executive of the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust on the future of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit;
	(2)  what timetable he has set for the consultation on the future of the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit;
	(3)  how much the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit cost to operate in each year from 1997 to 2007;
	(4)  what the total cost to the public purse of  (a) the suspension of activities at the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit,  (b) the two previous consultations and  (c) the current pre-consultation process has been;
	(5)  what alternative provision his Department has made for children with severe speech and language disorders following the suspension of activities at the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit in July 2007.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally and there have been no recent discussions or timetable set centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with local stakeholders, including practice based commissioners, local government and the public to assess the needs of their local population and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of speech and language therapy.

Nurses: Schools

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of trends in the volume of work undertaken by school nurses in the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to recruit school nurses; what targets he has set for such recruitment; and what assessment he has made of performance against these targets.

Ann Keen: No assessment of the volume of work has been made centrally. It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with local stakeholders to assess the needs of their local population and to commission services accordingly. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of school nursing services.
	The Public Health White Paper, "Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier", published in November 2004, included the commitment to provide new funding so that by 2010 every PCT, working with children's trusts and local authorities, will be resourced to have at least one full-time, year-round, qualified school nurse working with each cluster or group of primary schools and the related secondary school, taking account of health needs and school populations. It is for individual PCTs to determine how to use the funding allocated to them to commission services to meet the health care needs of their local populations.
	Linking primary schools to their nearest secondary school gives 3,300 clusters in England. The 2007 workforce census showed there were 3,162 (2,232 full-time equivalent) qualified nurses working in school health services, an increase of 753 or 31.25 per cent. since 2004. Of these, there were 1,227 (893 whole-time equivalent) nurses with the post registration school nurse qualification. This is an increase of 371 or 43.3 per cent. since 2004. In addition, the number of nurses working in the community increased by 28,235 (37 per cent.) between 1997 and 2007.

Stem Cells: Research

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the time it will take for stem cell derived disease treatments to become available on the NHS and  (b) the likely effect this will have on future health spending.

Dawn Primarolo: A number of stem cell-derived disease treatments are already available on the national health service, including bone marrow and umbilical cord blood transplantation for blood and immune system disorders, corneal transplantation for the victims of acid splashes to the eye and skin grafting for burns victims.
	As for newer stem cell derived treatments, it is impossible to establish with any degree of accuracy when they will become available on the NHS. There are still uncertainties about which stem cells work that will only be addressed by considerable amounts of laboratory and clinical research. As with earlier stem cell therapies, these newer stem cell therapies are likely to develop at varying rates and with varying efficiencies, depending on the disease and tissue involved. It is therefore impossible at this stage to assess the cost-benefit of newer stem cell derived treatments.

Thalidomide

Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the likely care needs for thalidomiders; and how those needs are planned to be met.

Dawn Primarolo: We have made no assessment of the likely care needs of those living with the effects of thalidomide.
	Assessments of the health and social care needs of all patients, including those living with the effects of thalidomide, are made on an individual basis by health and social care professionals who then have responsibility for ensuring that these needs are met.

Working Hours

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Department's tariff uplift breakdown for 2009-10, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's background analysis which indicates that an additional £150 million will be needed to support the implementation of the European Working Time Directive in 2009-10.

Ann Keen: The European Working Time Directive (EWTD) requires a 14 per cent. reduction in the maximum working hours of doctors in training, from 56 to 48 from August 2009. This equates to the hours provided by around 4,000 doctors in training. Implementation can be through a range of measures, including additional medical workforce capacity at either junior or senior level, new ways of working so that non-medical staff can take up duties currently done by doctors in training or through service redesign such as implementing hospital at night working practices.
	The Department is making a total of £310 million available by 2009-10 to support implementation in recurrent primary care trust (PCT) allocations. In 2008-09, £110 million was included in the quantum of allocation funding in all PCTs receiving revenues growth of 5.5 per cent. In 2009-10, a further £200 million has been included in PCT revenue allocations, of which £150 million will flow through tariff income to trusts and the remaining £50 million in PCT revenue allocations will be targeted to trusts according to strategic health authority direction to support trained doctor solutions, particularly in paediatrics and anaesthetics.
	The Department has estimated that the full cost of implementation could be around £300 million per year. This calculation is based on an analysis of the difference in doctors being 100 per cent. compliant at 56 hours and 100 per cent. compliant at 48 hours, so includes a valuation of:
	difference in pay to existing doctors; and
	assessment of the value of hours lost.
	This level of detail information of the background analysis is not held centrally.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS hospital trusts in England have more than one type 1 (major) accident and emergency department.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table lists the national health service hospital trusts in England, which have more than one type 1 (major) accident and emergency department.
	
		
			  Title: NHS organisations in England with more than one type 1 (major) accident and emergency department, 2008-09 October to December (Q3) 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RWY Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RW3 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RXP County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RP5 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 
			 RW East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RTE Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 5QH Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust 
			 RR1 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RYJ Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RWF Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 
			 RXF Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RNL North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RJL Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RTF Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RW6 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 REF Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXK Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RWD United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 
			 RA7 University Hospitals of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust 
			 RTX University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			 RWP Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Source:  Department of Health dataset QMAE. Published 13 February 2009.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency departments there are in each NHS hospital trust in England.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the number of accident and emergency departments in each national health service hospital trust in England, according to latest information collected centrally in quarter 3 (October to December) 2008-09.
	
		
			  Number of accident and emergency departments, minor injury units and walk in centres, NHS organisations in England, 2008-09 October to December (Q3) 
			  Organisation code  Organisation name  Departments 
			  England 590 
			
			 REM Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RCF Airedale NHS Trust 1 
			 RBS Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RTK Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 5HG Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5A9 Barnet Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RFF Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 2 
			 RDD Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RN5 Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5FL Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RC1 Bedford Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 5QG Berkshire East Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5QF Berkshire West Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RQ3 Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5PG Birmingham East And North Primary Care Trust 2 
			 5HP Blackpool Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RXL Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5HQ Bolton Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RAE Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RXH Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 5QJ Bristol Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RXQ Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 PJF Burton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5JX Bury Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RWY Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RGT Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5PP Cambridgeshire Primary Care Trust 2 
			 5NG Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RW3 Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 6 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RFS Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5C3 City and Hackney Teaching Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RLN City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RDE Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 5QP Cornwall And Isles Of Stilly Primary Care Trust 10 
			 RJR Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RXP County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 5MD Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5NE Cumbria Primary Care Trust 6 
			 5J9 Darlington Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RN7 Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust 1 
			 5N7 Derby City Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RTG Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 5N6 Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust 4 
			 5QQ Devon Primary Care Trust 18 
			 RP5 Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RBD Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5QM Dorset Primary Care Trust 8 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RWH East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust 2 
			 5P3 East And North Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust 1 
			 PJN East Cheshire NHS Trust 3 
			 RW East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 RXR East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 5NW East Riding of Yorkshire Primary Care Trust 3 
			 5P7 East Sussex Downs And Weald Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RXC East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust 7 
			 5QA Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust 6 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 RDU Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RR7 Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5KF Gateshead Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RLT George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RTE Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 5QH Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust 6 
			 RN3 Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5PR Great Yarmouth And Waveney Primary Care Trust 3 
			 PJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 5NM Halton And St. Helens Primary Care Trust 2 
			 5H1 Hammersmith and Fulham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5QC Hampshire Primary Care Trust 4 
			 5C9 Haringey Teaching Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RCD Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5A4 Havering Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5MX Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RR1 Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RD7 Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RLQ Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 5CN Herefordshire Primary Care Trust 4 
			 5NQ Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5AT Hillingdon Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RQQ Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust 1 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RWA Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5NX Hull Teaching Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RYJ Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 4 
			 RGQ Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 5QT Isle of Wight NHS Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RGP James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5LA Kensington and Chelsea Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RNQ Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 5N2 Kirklees Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5J4 Knowsley Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RXN Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RR8 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 5N9 Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5NL Liverpool Primary Care Trust 4 
			 REP Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RC9 Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5GC Luton Teaching Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RWF Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust 3 
			 5NT Manchester Primary Care Trust 4 
			 PJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 4 
			 RPA Medway NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RBT Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RQ8 Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust 3 
			 RJD Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RXF Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 RD8 Milton Keynes Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5CQ Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5D7 Newcastle Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5C5 Newham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RM1 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 5PQ Norfolk Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RVJ North Bristol NHS Trust 2 
			 RNL North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5PW North East Essex Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 5M8 North Somerset Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5PH North Staffordshire Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RVW North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 5NV North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust 5 
			 RNS Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust 3 
			 5PD Northamptonshire Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RBZ Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust 4 
			 RJL Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RTF Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 8 
			 5EM Nottingham City Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RX1 Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5N8 Nottinghamshire County Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5J5 Oldham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RTH Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 5QE Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust 4 
			 RW6 Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 RGN Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 5PN Peterborough Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RK9 Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 5F1 Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RD3 Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5FE Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RHU Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 2 
			 RPC Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 5NA Redbridge Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5QR Redcar And Cleveland Primary Care Trust 2 
			 5M6 Richmond and Twickenham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5H8 Rotherham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RHW Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RMC Royal Bolton Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 REF Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RH8 Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 1 
			 RQ6 Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 RA2 Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust 7 
			 RD1 Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust 1 
			 RPR Royal West Sussex NHS Trust 1 
			 5F5 Salford Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RM3 Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RNZ Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RXK Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 RCC Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust 2 
			 5NJ Sefton Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RCU Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RHQ Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 5 
			 RK5 Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RXW Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 5M2 Shropshire County Primary Care Trust 6 
			 TAM Solihull Care Trust 1 
			 5QL Somerset Primary Care Trust 9 
			 5M1 South Birmingham Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RA9 South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5PK South Staffordshire Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RTR South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RE9 South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RJC South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5PY South West Essex Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5L1 Southampton City Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RHM Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RAJ Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RVY Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust 3 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 1 
			 RBN St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RWJ Stockport NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5PT Suffolk Primary Care Trust 2 
			 5KL Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RTP Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust 4 
			 5P5 Surrey Primary Care Trust 6 
			 5K3 Swindon Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RMP Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RBA Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5MK Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RNA The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 RTD The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 4 
			 RQW The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RCX The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Trust 2 
			 RFR The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RDZ The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 RL4 The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 TAL Torbay Care Trust 2 
			 5C4 Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RM4 Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust 2 
			 RWD United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust 6 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RRK University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RJE University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust 2 
			 RM2 University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RKB University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust 5 
			 RA7 University Hospitals of Bristol NHS Foundation Trust 3 
			 RWE University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust 8 
			 RTX University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust 3 
			 5N3 Wakefield District Primary Care Trust 3 
			 RBK Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust 2 
			 5NC Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust 1 
			 5LG Wandsworth Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RWW Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 2 
			 5PM Warwickshire Primary Care Trust 3 
			 5PV West Essex Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RWG West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 5P9 West Kent Primary Care Trust 4 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 1 
			 RGR West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust 1 
			 5P6 West Sussex Primary Care Trust 4 
			 5LC Westminster Primary Care Trust 1 
			 RA3 Weston Area Health NHS Trust 1 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 2 
			 5QK Wiltshire Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RN1 Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust 2 
			 5NK Wirral Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RBL Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 5MV Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust 2 
			 RWP Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 3 
			 5PL Worcestershire Primary Care Trust 4 
			 RPL Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust 4 
			 RRF Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RA4 Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 RCB York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 1 
			 CWiC NHS Walk in Centres, with a commuter focus 6 
			  Note: There are six NHS Walk in Centres, with a commuter focus which are provided across the country. They are walk in centres based near commuter hubs with a remit to provide treatment for minor ailments/illness/injuries, for local residents and students, as well as commuters.  Source:  Department of Health dataset QMAE

Accident and Emergency Departments: Admissions

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to accident and emergency departments there were in each hospital trust in each day in February 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: Information is not available in the format requested. However, information on the number of patients attending accident and emergency (A&E) departments is published quarterly via the Department of Health's QMAE dataset.
	A table which shows the number of attendances at major accident and emergency departments, single speciality accident and emergency departments, other types of accident and emergency departments including minor injury and walk in centres for the most recent quarter, has been placed in the Library.

Cancer: Drugs

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma who are expected to be suitable for sunitinib as a first-line therapy in the next 12 months, under the terms of the final approval determination issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Dawn Primarolo: We have made no such assessment. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will publish a costing tool alongside its final guidance on sunitinib (Sutent) for the treatment of advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma which will include an assessment of the patient population that will be eligible for treatment under NICE'S final recommendations.

Colorectal Cancer

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of his Department's progress in raising awareness of bowel cancer.

Ann Keen: The results of the first national cancer awareness survey, which will be published in the spring, will provide a baseline assessment of awareness in the general public of the risk factors and symptoms of cancer. From this baseline, we will be able to monitor changes in public awareness and the impact of interventions across all cancers.
	Work to improve cancer symptom awareness and encourage earlier presentation across all cancers is being taken forward through the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative. Through the Improvement Foundation's Healthy Community Collaborative programme, 19 sites across the country are working to raise awareness of lung, breast and bowel cancers in their local communities. The Football Foundation's football pilot will also aim to raise awareness of lung, bowel and prostate cancer in men aged over 55.

Colorectal Cancer: Radiotherapy

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) longest and  (b) average waiting time was for patients receiving radiotherapy treatment for bowel cancer in (i) Lancashire and (ii) England in 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Statistics on average or maximum waiting times for cancer patients and average or maximum waiting times for specific cancer treatments are not collected centrally. The cancer waiting time standard of a maximum wait of 31 days from diagnosis to first cancer treatment was introduced for all cancer patients from December 2005. In the last quarter for which figures are available (October to December 2008), national performance against this standard was 99.5 per cent.

Colorectal Cancer: Screening

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people aged over 50 years were screened for bowel cancer in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England in 2008;
	(2)  how many bowel cancer screening centres are operational in  (a) Lancashire and  (b) England; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The national health service bowel cancer screening programme in England invites men and women aged 60 to 69 to complete a testing kit to be screened for bowel cancer every two years. Men and women aged over 69 are able to self-refer for screening every two years.
	In 2008, 67,756 men and women completed a testing kit in Lancashire, and 1,062,270 men and women completed a testing kit in England.
	Lancashire is covered by four local bowel cancer screening centres (Bolton, Pennine, Lancashire and Cumbria and Westmorland), all of which are now operational. There are 43 local bowel cancer screening centres are currently operational in England out of a total of the 57 that will be operational once the programme is fully rolled out by December 2009.

Continuing Care

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the rules on eligibility for NHS continuing care introduced in 2007.

Phil Hope: Since the introduction of the National Framework for NHS Continuing Care on 1 October 2007, which introduced standardised eligibility criteria, the number of those in receipt of continuing care has increased from 27,822 at the end of September 2007 to 40,449 at the end of September 2008.

Departmental Absenteeism

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on  (a) 2 February 2009 and  (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost resulting from such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on those days.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department did not record centrally the numbers of staff who were absent for non-medical reasons on 2 and 3 February. Many staff were able to work remotely using their existing information technology facilities and capacity was increased to allow more concurrent remote users. With prior agreement with their managers staff were allowed to work from home on both days.
	Guidance was issued to managers and staff confirming that those who were working on 2 February could leave work early to avoid the rush hour. It was made clear that every effort should be made by our staff to attend the office on 3 February. Managers also had the discretion to allow credits of flexi time or annual leave considering each case on its merits.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers in his Department in 2008-09 to date.

Ben Bradshaw: The Secretary of State for Health's special advisers have claimed £797.62 in reimbursable expenses since January 2008 up to 3 March 2009.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not make specific budget provision for entertainment. The Department's Code of Business Conduct explicitly states that
	"Departmental funds should never be used for providing entertainment".
	The Department also does not make specific budget provision for hospitality. The Code of Business Conduct that 'hospitality' provided should be modest and necessary for the effective conduct of departmental business.
	This is in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not record expenditure on alcohol. The Department's code of business conduct requires that the "provision of alcohol as an element of hospitality must be limited and reasonable, and that any hospitality provided should be modest and necessary for the effective conduct of Departmental business." This is in accordance with the principles of the Treasury guidance 'Managing Public Money' and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.
	The Department has expended the following sums on food in the last five years:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 546,926 
			 2004-05 540,599 
			 2005-06 559,924 
			 2006-07 546,122 
			 2007-08 581,353

Departmental Postal Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to  (a) the Royal Mail and  (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: All letters issued from the Department's buildings are processed by Royal Mail.

Departmental Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the number of persons appointed to executive positions in bodies for which his Department has responsibility in the last five years who previously had careers in the banking industry.

Ben Bradshaw: Executive appointments to the Department's arm's-length bodies, and to frontline national health service organisations, are normally made by the chairmen and non-executive directors of the bodies concerned. Accordingly, records of the previous employment of appointees are held locally. They are not collected centrally and to do so would impose a disproportionate burden and cost.

Departmental Public Consultation

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many public consultations his Department has conducted in the last 12 months; how long each consultation was open for; how many responses were received in each case; and what the cost of conducting each consultation was.

Ben Bradshaw: Between 1 February 2008 and 31 January 2009, the Department launched 48 public consultations. Of these, 39 were open for 12 weeks or longer. The nine public consultations that were open for less than 12 weeks were either technical consultations; for example, the consultation on business case approval guidance for primary care trusts with existing Local Improvement Finance Trusts or were part of a policy development process involving a significant proportion of other stakeholder engagement activities. All of these shortened consultations had ministerial approval.
	The Department does not hold information centrally about the numbers of responses received to public consultations, or their costs. This information can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department was of travel by train by its staff in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on train travel by staff of the Department is available only from July 2004. The following table details the yearly expenditure from July 2004 to date, on travel provided under the Department's centrally managed contract:
	
		
			  Period  £ 
			 July 2004 to March 2005 3,937,583.55 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 5,001,426.70 
			 April 2006 to March 2007 4,357,499.00 
			 April 2007 to March 2008 4,924,064.00 
			 April 2008 to February 2009 5,586,805.88 
		
	
	These figures do not include the costs of train journeys booked by individual members of staff, and claimed as expenses. This information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Surveys

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on staff surveys in each of the last five years; and which companies were contracted to carry out the surveys.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has run annual staff surveys, in each of the last five years, all of which have been administered by Amey Performance Measurement Group.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2008-09 30,373 
			 2007-08 34,780 
			 2006-07 24,346 
			 2005-06 18,835 
			 2004-05 (1)— 
			 (1) Cost unavailable. To establish this would incur disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	In addition during February 2008, the Department carried out a one-off, specific, staff Health and Well-being survey, administered by Robertson Cooper. The cost of this survey was £28,783.

Departmental Training

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has provided voice coaching to any of its employees in the last 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no central record available of anyone in the Department having been provided with voice coaching in the past 12 months. However records are not kept centrally of training provided locally by individual directorates. To establish what training, if any, was provided at that level, would incur disproportionate costs.

Eating Disorders

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) children and  (b) adults were admitted to hospital for a suspected eating disorder in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Information is not collected on admissions for a suspected eating disorder. The data in the following table cover those who have received a formal diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other types of eating disorders including overeating.
	
		
			  Total admissions( 1)  into hospital where there was a primary diagnosis( 2)  of eating disorders( 3)  for children (0-18 year olds) (b) adults (19 and over) from 2007-08 to 2003-04: Activity in English NHS hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   Total (England)  18 and under  19 and over  Unknown 
			 2007-08 1,967 970 996 1 
			 2006-07 1,970 860 1,087 23 
			 2005-06 1,935 794 1,132 9 
			 2004-05 1,724 677 1,047 0 
			 2003-04 1,622 717 904 1 
			 (1) A finished admission episode is the first period of inpatient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Finished admission episodes are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of inpatients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. (2)( )The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 20 (14 from 2002-03 to 2006-07 and 7 prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data set and provides the main reason why the patient was admitted to hospital. (3) International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD) Diagnosis codes for 'Eating disorders';  Anorexia Nervosa; F50.0 Anorexia nervosa F50.1 Atypical anorexia nervosa  Bulimia Nervosa; F50.2 Bulimia nervosa F50.3 Atypical bulimia nervosa  Other eating disorders; F50.4 Overeating associated with other psychological disturbances F50.5 Vomiting associated with other psychological disturbances F50.8 Other eating disorders F50.9 Eating disorder, unspecified F98.2 Feeding disorder of infancy and childhood F98.3 Pica of infancy and childhood 
		
	
	HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and primary care trusts in England. Data are also received from a number of independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
	HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. The quality and coverage of the data have improved over time. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Some of the increase in figures for later years (particularly 2006-07 onwards) may be due to the improvement in the coverage of independent sector activity.
	Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example, a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted for in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.
	Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in the data, i.e. the data are ungrossed.

Eating Disorders

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many 18 to 21-year-olds were admitted to each  (a) hospital and  (b) university hospital for bulimia in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many 18 to 21-year-olds were admitted to each  (a) hospital and  (b) university hospital for anorexia in each of the last 10 years.

Phil Hope: The information we have regarding 18 to 21-year-olds who were admitted to hospital for bulimia and anorexia in each of the last 10 years has been placed in the Library.

Environmental Health: Restaurants

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of restaurants which have been visited and inspected by local authority environmental health officers in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: Local authority returns to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007—the latest available 12 month period—reported that there were 386,206 United Kingdom restaurant and catering businesses, of which 246,279 (63 per cent.) received an official control inspection or visit during that period.
	A total of 397,865 inspections or visits were carried out, some premises being inspected or visited more than once during this period.
	Official control inspections and visits cover both food hygiene and food standards (i.e. food labelling and composition) arrangements.
	Full UK data on all local authority food control enforcement activity are available on the FSA website:
	www.food.gov.uk

Food Poisoning

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of food poisoning by  (a) salmonella,  (b) campylobacter,  (c) E. coli and  (d) other food-borne pathogens were recorded in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of laboratory-confirmed cases of United Kingdom-acquired salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli 0157, clostridium perfringens, and listeria monocytogenes infections in each of the last five years is shown in the following table.
	The most recent data available at present are from 2007.
	The Food Standards Agency has monitored the number of cases of these five key food-borne pathogens in the UK since 2000.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Salmonella 13,207 12,344 10,220 10,970 10,245 
			 Campylobacter 41,283 39,822 41,882 42,360 46,629 
			 E. coli 0157 777 819 1,029 1,146 976 
			 Clostridium perfringens 78 527 545 156 73 
			 Listeria monocytogenes 248 230 220 208 254 
			 Total 55,593 53,742 53,896 54,840 58,177 
			  Source:  Health Protection Agency, Health Protection Scotland, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre Northern Ireland.

Health Services: Republic of Ireland

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 216-7W, on health services: Republic of Ireland, how much the Government has paid to the Republic of Ireland under the bilateral agreement in each year since the agreement came into force.

Dawn Primarolo: The bilateral agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland has been in place since 1971. Data relating to payments made are not available going back this far. According to departmental data, under the terms of the agreement, the UK has paid the Republic of Ireland around €2 billion over last five years. The majority of these payments related to the provision of health care for around 50,000 pensioners that the UK pays for each year in the Republic of Ireland.

Hospitals

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps were taken by his Department to consult NHS staff on the development of administrative systems within NHS hospital trusts in the last three years.

Ben Bradshaw: Over the past three years, the Choose and Book programme has conducted stakeholder engagement on the future development of the Choose and Book application via various stakeholder forums. Representatives from national health service hospital trusts are members of the National Clinical Reference Panel; National Design Steering Group; local and strategic health authority user groups; National Specialty Reference Group; and the clinical leadership team.

Hospitals: Admissions

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients spent a night in hospital but not in a  (a) hospital bed and  (b) ward in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not collected centrally. You may wish to contact your local national health service organisations for further information.

Hospitals: Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1029W, on malnutrition, how many people were  (a) admitted to and  (b) discharged from each NHS hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of (i) malnutrition, (ii) nutritional anaemias and (iii) other nutritional deficiencies in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 6 March 2009
	We regret the delay in placing this information in the Library. As set out in my earlier answer, the information requested requires intensive and time-consuming use of statistical information systems. A copy of the information has been placed in the Library.

Influenza: Vaccination

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Government has taken to publicise the availability of influenza vaccinations in  (a) England,  (b) the North East,  (c) Tees Valley district and  (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department ran the annual national influenza immunisation communications campaign with television, radio, and pharmacy bag advertising from early October to mid November 2008, and with online and public relations activity continuing into December. There was also additional radio advertising in late November/early December in the south east of England, where vaccine takeup was lower.
	Leaflets, posters and an online toolkit were also made freely available for the national health service to support their local activities.
	Primary care trusts covering the north east, the Tees Valley and Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency implemented the national influenza campaign.

Learning Disability: Social Services

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority has spent on adult learning disability services in each year since 1997; and by how much each authority  (a) exceeded or  (b) underspent its budget for such services in each such year.

Phil Hope: Data on local authority expenditure on state funded care are collected and published by the NHS information centre for health and social care. Tables, showing the gross current expenditure by councils with adult social services responsibilities on adults aged 18 to 64 with learning disabilities as their primary client group between 1997-98 and 2007-08, in both cash and real terms respectively, have been placed in the Library.
	Data on how much each authority exceeded or underspent its budget for adult learning disability services are not collected centrally.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: Correspondence

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct the Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust to reply to the outstanding issues raised by the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling in his letters to him of 26 August 2008 and 11 December 2008 following the death of a child of his constituents.

Ann Keen: We were concerned to learn about the delay in the hon. Member receiving a response from the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust. Departmental officials have investigated and we are assured that Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust will respond to the hon. Member by 11 March 2009.

Memory Clinics

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to his Dementia Strategy, published on 3 February 2009, how many memory clinics there are in the NHS; how many memory clinics he intends to establish; and by what date.

Phil Hope: Information on the number of memory clinics there are in the national health service is not collected centrally. The decisions about the establishment of memory services will be made locally by primary care trusts.

Mental Health Services

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost of keeping a person in  (a) high secure and  (b) medium secure mental health accommodation was in the latest period for which information is available; and how many (i) beds and (ii) vacant beds there were in each type of accommodation on 31 January in each year from 2000 to 2009.

Phil Hope: The average cost per high secure bed in 2008-09, based on service level agreements, is £286,740 per annum and the average cost per medium secure bed per bed day is £453.
	 Note
	The figure for medium secure beds is for NHS trusts and primary care trusts combined and is sourced from Schedule 4 of the 2006-07 Reference Costs (published February 2008).
	We do not collect data on bed availability in medium secure units centrally.
	The number of beds currently available in high secure services is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Beds currently available 
			   Number 
			 Male mental illness and personality disorder 673 
			 Learning disability 48 
			 Female mental illness and personality disorder 50 
			 Dangerous and severe personality disorder 108 
		
	
	We do not collect the average occupancy of beds rates in each category for each of the last three years. What data we do have are contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Current occupancy rates at 30 September 2008 
			   Percentage 
			 Male mental illness and personality disorder 90.6 
			 Learning disability 89.6 
			 Female mental illness and personality disorder 88 
			 Dangerous and severe personality disorder 83.3 
			 Overall occupancy rate 90.4 
			  Note: This excludes patients on trial leave i.e. patients who are staying in medium security as part of their progression plan. 
		
	
	
		
			  Month/year  Beds  Occupancy rates (percentage) 
			 September 2007 790 93.2 
			 September 2006 879 90.2 
			 December 2005 899 92.1

Mental Health Services

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1196W on mental health services, how many primary care trusts provide computerised cognitive behavioural therapy approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of depression; and what steps he has taken to ensure that NICE Technology Appraisal 97 is implemented in all primary care trusts at the required level to meet known need;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that people suffering from depression are able to access therapy treatments to which they are entitled;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2009,  Official Report, column 1196W on mental health services, what assessment he has made of the levels of availability of psychological therapies approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence for  (a) guided self-help,  (b) counselling,  (c) computerised cognitive behavioural therapy and  (d) behavioural activation and exercise.

Phil Hope: Compliance with clinical guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) forms part of the developmental standards for the national health service and NHS organisations are expected to move towards their full implementation. The Department recognises the important contribution of the effective provision of computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and primary care trusts (PCTs) are obliged to provide funding for NICE-recommended cCBT packages where clinicians want to use them, however, the Department does not collect information on the uptake of cCBT.
	The core aim of the Departments Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme is to support the NHS to implement the NICE guidelines and deliver effective treatment for people with depression and anxiety disorders.
	The Government have provided substantial new funding to increase services over the next three years:
	£33 million for 2008-09;
	a further £70 million to a total of £103 million in 2009-10; and
	a further £70 million to a total of £173 million in 2010-11.
	This funding will allow regional training programmes to deliver 3,600 newly trained therapists with an appropriate skill mix and supervision arrangements by 2010-11 and 900,000 people to access IAPT services.
	The core aim of the Department's IAPT programme is to support the NHS to implement the NICE guidelines and deliver effective treatment for people with depression and anxiety disorders.
	The NHS Operating Framework 2008-09 states that to prepare for the new IAPT services being available more widely in the future, all PCTs need to plan how they will implement a stepped-care psychological therapies service. The first step is to carry out a needs assessment of their local population and scope their state of readiness to deliver IAPT services in preparation for becoming an IAPT site in the future. Strategic health authorities have committed to supporting and monitoring all PCTs in improving their psychological therapy services through routine commissioning. However, it is not possible to identify the availability of specific treatments, as information of this nature is not collected centrally.

Mental Health Services: Young People

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the number of people who required access to child and adolescent mental health services in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: Information is not collected on the number of children and young people seeking access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). However, the annual CAMHS Mapping Exercise conducted by Durham university for the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families collects information on the caseload of CAMHS above the level of primary care (Tiers two to four). The following table details the total caseload (which includes active cases and consultations) for Tiers two to four CAMHS in each year since 2003 when annual mapping commenced.
	
		
			   Total caseload 
			 2003 86,521 
			 2004 104,744 
			 2005 112,984 
			 2006 169,029 
			 2007 159,727 
			  Note: The mapping exercise is voluntary and therefore participation, although consistently high, varies each year. Therefore, comparisons between years should be treated with care.

Mentally Ill: Young People

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many 18 to 21-year-olds were admitted to  (a) all hospitals and  (b) university hospitals for mental health conditions in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) hospital and (ii) type of condition.

Phil Hope: The figures requested on general mental health conditions have been placed in the Library.

NHS Treatment Centres: Private Sector

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether patients transferred from an NHS hospital to an independent sector treatment centre are covered by NHS indemnity arrangements.

Ben Bradshaw: Yes. There is a process in place regarding the transfer of patients from a national health service (NHS) hospital to an independent sector treatment centre. Provided this process is followed, all such patients will be covered by NHS indemnity arrangements.

NHS Treatment Centres: Southampton

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many scheduled operations at Southampton independent sector treatment centre have been cancelled by his Department.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not cancel operations. However in February 2009, based on advice received from the NHS Litigation Authority, instructions were issued to the NHS trust to reschedule three planned operations.

NHS Treatment Centres: Southampton

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors from Southampton General hospital have been seconded to the independent sector treatment centre in Southampton in each month since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally. This information will become available from the Department from April 2009.

NHS: Databases

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the development costs of the NHS Summary Care Record database have been; and what the estimated annual running costs of the database are.

Ben Bradshaw: The approach to deliver a summary care record (SCR) was defined by a taskforce that published its report in December 2006. A copy has been placed in the Library. This proposed the creation of the SCR from general practitioners' (GP) records uploaded from GP systems and stored on the 'spine' database. Expenditure to 28 February 2009 to achieve this has amounted to £18.7 million.
	Prior to the taskforce, the approach was for a personal health record to build up gradually over time as new systems were developed and deployed and to be a part of the wider personal spine information services (PSIS) within the spine. PSIS was one of the original elements of the spine development along with transaction and messaging services, clinical spine application services, security and access controls, personal demographics service and directory services that support, not only SCR but all other clinical information flows. Costs specific to this earlier approach are not separately identifiable within the spine contract costs.
	The ongoing service costs for the SCR are not calculated separately from the service costs for the whole of the spine. The anticipated future maintenance charges covering all the completed core functionality of the spine, for the remaining period of the contract, are in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Maintenance charge( 1)  (£000) 
			 2009-10 44,730 
			 2010-11 43,734 
			 2011-12 35,967 
			 2012-13 31,119 
			 2013-14 6,841 
			 (1) At 2009 prices, excluding VAT

NHS: Discrimination

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of  (a) bullying and  (b) disability discrimination in NHS organisations.

Phil Hope: The NHS Constitution for England, published on 21 January 2009, makes clear that staff have a right to work in an environment free from bullying, harassment, verbal or physical violence and unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief and disability from patients, the public or staff. A copy of the publication has already been placed in the Library.
	Every organisation should have in place a policy on equality and diversity enabling people from the widest range of backgrounds to join and progress through the organisation, and a zero tolerance approach to unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment. The national health service provides a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of disability, and has a wider social duty to promote equality.

NHS: Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made on the implementation of the recommendations of the Richards Report on improving access to medicines for NHS patients.

Alan Johnson: The Department is making good progress on implementing all of the recommendations of the Richards report. For example, we have already implemented recommendations 1, 3 and 5, and with the forthcoming publication of the final guidance on additional private care, we will have implemented recommendations 7, 8, 9, 10 and 14. The remaining recommendations require ongoing work over the course of 2009, but in all cases this work is already under way.

NHS: Energy

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much was spent by each health trust in England on each type of energy purchased through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency contract in 2008-09;
	(2)  how many units were consumed by each health trust in England of each type of energy purchased through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency contract in 2008-09.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the amount spent or the units consumed by each trust on energy through the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) contracts is not collected centrally. However NHS PASA manages energy frameworks used by approximately 85 per cent. of the national health service representing around 7.0 terra watt hours (tWh) of gas and 2.4 tWh of electricity, or about 10 per cent. of the United Kingdom public sector total. The profiles and spend for 2008-09 are as follows:
	Gas: 206,679,735 Therms/£133,518,517;
	Electricity Non Half Hourly: 202,448 Megawatt/£12,228,270; and
	Electricity Half Hourly: 2,431,025 Megawatt/£173,869,036.

NHS: Equality

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2009,  Official Report, column 241W, on NHS: equality, when he expects the advisory group on the implications of age discrimination legislation for the NHS to publish its future programme of work; on what date the advisory group first met; for what reasons he expects that the advisory group's work will take 18 months to complete; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The programme of work for the advisory group on tackling age discrimination in health and social care was published in the written ministerial statement issued on 11 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 46-48WS. The advisory group held its first meeting on 26 January 2009. The group's remit includes consideration of age-specific issues in health and social care to inform secondary legislation which will apply the provisions of the Equality Bill in that sector, and also what help and guidance may be needed to support service providers to comply with the provisions of the legislation. It is estimated that this programme, including production of help and guidance, will take until summer 2010 to complete. Where it is possible and helpful to make any findings or conclusions available earlier than summer 2010, we will do so.

NHS: Fees and Charges

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation he has made of the results of his Department's consultation on draft guidance on NHS patients who wish to pay for additional private care; and when he expects to issue the guidance.

Alan Johnson: The Department is currently considering the results of the consultation on national health service patients who wish to pay for additional private care. We will be issuing the final guidance, alongside a consultation response, shortly.

NHS: Finance

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which capital investment programmes in NHS hospitals announced by the Government since 1997 have not been fulfilled; what the reason was in each case; and how much the capital investment was originally estimated to be in each case.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested on centrally monitored schemes (capital value £10 million or over) is in the following table. All these schemes were taken forward as private finance initiative (PFI) proposals.
	
		
			   Hospital build schemes cancelled  Reason for cancelling scheme  Original  estimated capital valu e  ( £  m illion ) 
			 1997-98 Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust(1) Value for money decision at full business case stage 24 
			  Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust(1) Value for money decision at full business case stage 24 
			  Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust(1) Value for money decision at full business case stage 74 
			  Guys and St. Thomas NHS Foundation Trust(1) Value for money decision at full business case stage 50 
			 
			 2000-01 Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust(1) Value for money decision at full business case stage 13 
			  Hampshire PCT(2) Value for money decision at full business case stage 20 
			  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust(3) Value for money decision at full business case stage 11 
			  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust(3) Value for money decision at full business case stage 14 
			 
			 2003-04 East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 102 
			 
			 2004-05 Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 116 
			 
			 2005-06 Imperial College Healthcare/Royal Brampton and Harefield NHS Trusts — 'Paddington Basin' Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 300 
			 
			 2006-07 Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 79 
			  Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 101 
			 
			 2007-08 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 184 
			  South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 65 
			  University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 286 
			  United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 80 
			  Southend Hospital NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 100 
			  Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 110 
			  Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 50 
			  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 229 
			 
			 2008-09 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 139 
			  Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 57 
			  North West London Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 305 
			  Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 200 
			  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust Pre full business case local service need and value for money review 40 
			  Notes: (1) These prospective PFI schemes subsequently went ahead using public capital. (2) This prospective public capital funded scheme was re-tendered as a PFI scheme and opened to patients in January 2007. (3) These schemes were incorporated into larger PFI schemes which are now under construction.

NHS: Negligence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 661W, on NHS negligence, if he will publish the breakdown of the global contribution in each year since 1997 on the same basis as the estimated figures for 2009-10 given in the Answer.

Ann Keen: The NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) does not have this information for years prior to 2009-10 and to obtain it would be at disproportionate cost. The NHSLA only has data for 2009-10 because they asked actuaries to provide a more detailed analysis once the initial estimate showed an increase on the previous year.

NHS: Prescriptions

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent the over-prescription of medicines within the NHS;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of over-prescription of medicines in  (a) England and  (b) within the geographical area now covered by NHS Cumbria since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: Research to determine the scale and cost of waste medicines is progressing. The research findings are expected later in 2009 and will inform the development of Government policy for influencing both health professionals and members of the public to reduce the amount of unwanted medicines and provide better value for money for the national health service.
	The Department currently supports a range of initiatives including repeat dispensing and medicines use reviews, through the contractual framework for community pharmacy, where pharmacists help patients get the most from their medicines, while at the same time minimising wastage by optimising use.
	A number of primary care trusts (PCTs) in the North West have participated in a regional medicines waste campaign. However, Cumbria PCT has developed its own campaign working with local stakeholders and media. In terms of media coverage, the PCT recently published an article in its in-house magazine promoting the issue, and advising readers on ways to minimise medicine wastage (featured in December 2008 issue). The PCT is also conducting a 'returned medicine' audit to establish what medicines are returned to community pharmacies and why. Linked to the nationally commissioned research, the university of York is helping analyse the results for Cumbria PCT and the findings are expected later this year.

NHS: Prescriptions

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on drugs of all types in each year since 1997 in  (a) England and  (b) the geographical area now covered by NHS Cumbria.

Dawn Primarolo: Information for expenditure on drugs by the national health service in England since 1996-97 is provided as follows:
	
		
			  Drugs bill expenditure, England 
			   Total outturn expenditure (£ million) 
			  Cash terms( 1)  
			 1996-97 4,735 
			 1997-98 5,173 
			 1998-99 5,550 
			 1999-2000 6,202 
			   
			  Resource terms( 1)  
			 2000-01 6,688 
			 2001-02 7,446 
			 2002-03 8,355 
			 2003-04 9,271 
			 2004-05 9,966 
			 2005-06 9,979 
			 2006-07 10,545 
			 2007-08 10,925 
			 (1) From 2000-01 figures are in resource terms and represent the cost of prescriptions prescribed in the period April to March. Figures prior to 2000-01 are in cash terms and represent reimbursement payments made from April to March for prescriptions prescribed in February to January.  Sources: 1. Prescription Services Division, the NHS Business Services Authority, England. 2. Department of Health Finance Division; Foundation Trust year-end accounts. 
		
	
	Primary care trust (PCT) level data on prescriptions dispensed in the community are only held for the latest 60 months. The following table provides net ingredient cost (NIC) figures for prescriptions prescribed in the Cumbria area and dispensed in the community in the United Kingdom, 2004 to 2008.
	
		
			  Cumbria PCT area( 1) , all prescribing( 2) 
			   NIC (£ million) 
			 2004 (includes all of Morecambe Bay) 113.4 
			 2005 (includes all of Morecambe Bay) 109.7 
			 2006 (includes all of Morecambe Bay) 106.6 
			 2007 (includes all of Morecambe Bay) 89.6 
			 2008 (excluding part of Morecambe Bay) 88.1 
			 (1) Cumbria PCT came into existence in October 2006 and was formed by the merger of Carlisle and District PCT, Eden Valley PCT, West Cumbria PCT and the South Lakeland part of Morecambe Bay PCT. The figures provided for 2004 and 2005 are the sum of Carlisle and District PCT, Eden Valley PCT, West Cumbria PCT and Morecambe Bay PCT. The figures for 2006 and 2007 are the combination of the figures for these PCTs plus the figures for Cumbria PCT (prescriptions are valid for six months and prescriptions for the PCTs which were abolished in 2006 continued to be dispensed in 2007 although the numbers were small). As only part of Morecambe Bay went into Cumbria PCT it is not possible to provide exact figures over this time period for the area currently covered by Cumbria PCT. The figures for 2008 are for Cumbria PCT. (2) The figures include prescribing of all medicines, including drugs, appliances, dressings and devices.  Source: Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system.

NHS: Standards

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts  (a) use patient recorded outcome measures (PROMS) and  (b) have purchased PROMS IT systems.

Ben Bradshaw: From 1 April 2009 all providers of national health service-funded care who are subject to the terms of the standard NHS contract for acute services are obliged to invite patients undergoing hip and knee replacements, groin hernia and varicose vein surgeries to complete patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) questionnaires. The Department is aware of a number of examples where providers are involved currently in local PROMs data collection exercises although there is no central register of these activities.
	The Department has no central record of purchases of information technology systems to support PROMs data collections by individual NHS trusts.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consider the merits of exempting patients with sickle cell disease and thalassaemia from prescription charges from April 2009; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: We have asked the president of the Royal College of Physicians (Professor Ian Gilmore) to carry out a review of prescription charges that will consider how to implement the commitment to exempt patients with long-term conditions from prescription charges. The review is due to make its recommendations to ministers in summer 2009.
	The review is engaging widely with stakeholders to seek the views of patients, the public, patient representative bodies, clinicians and healthcare organisations.
	The all party parliamentary group on Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia has provided written evidence to the review.

RU486

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in each age group and region taking mifepristone required further treatment because the womb was not completely emptied of its contents or it failed to end the pregnancy in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by length of gestation of the pregnancy.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Social Services: Elderly

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority spent on domiciliary care for older people  (a) in total and  (b) per person in such care in 2008-09.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Information Centre for health and social care that information on expenditure by local authorities on domiciliary care for 2008-09 will not be available until later in 2009. Gross expenditure and the average annual gross total cost per person for domiciliary care for 2007-08 by councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total amounts spent on domiciliary care( 1 ) and the average annual cost of domiciliary care for older people (aged 65 and over) for each local authority in 2007-08 
			  CASSR  Gross current expenditure on domiciliary care (£000)  Average annual gross total cost per person receiving domiciliary  care( 2)  (£) 
			 Barnsley 13,800 2,025 
			 Birmingham 59,800 3,954 
			 Bolton 18,700 3,620 
			 Bradford 31,800 3,691 
			 Bury 9,000 3,161 
			 Calderdale 13,100 3,484 
			 Coventry 29,200 9,862 
			 Doncaster 16,700 4,892 
			 Dudley 19,300 2,341 
			 Gateshead 19,400 3,576 
			 Kirklees 23,500 2,511 
			 Knowsley 10,300 3,449 
			 Leeds 45,900 4,086 
			 Liverpool 58,100 6,515 
			 Manchester 34,300 4,817 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 21,300 3,976 
			 North Tyneside 12,700 2,528 
			 Oldham 19,100 6,604 
			 Rochdale 11,800 2,857 
			 Rotherham 21,000 5,077 
			 Salford 14,700 2,560 
			 Sandwell 23,500 3,466 
			 Sefton 17,600 2,929 
			 Sheffield 41,200 3,777 
			 Solihull 12,100 2,300 
			 South Tyneside 13,000 3,443 
			 St. Helens 16,200 3,163 
			 Stockport 13,000 2,694 
			 Sunderland 18,200 2,616 
			 Tameside 12,500 2,581 
			 Trafford 11,300 2,158 
			 Wakefield 20,600 3,989 
			 Walsall 19,200 4,655 
			 Wigan 14,000 2,831 
			 Wirral 18,200 3,086 
			 Wolverhampton 18,900 4,045 
			 Bedfordshire 18,000 2,781 
			 Buckinghamshire 25,800 3,291 
			 Cambridgeshire 36,400 3,659 
			 Cheshire 42,400 3,754 
			 Cornwall 26,200 1,396 
			 Cumbria 31,200 2,956 
			 Derbyshire 51,700 2,701 
			 Devon 33,000 2,162 
			 Dorset 25,600 3,972 
			 Durham 36,700 3,501 
			 East Sussex 32,700 3,111 
			 Essex 85,800 3,358 
			 Gloucestershire 26,900 2,024 
			 Hampshire 56,800 1,010 
			 Hertfordshire 53,200 3,081 
			 Isles of Scilly 100 1,679 
			 Kent 76,800 2,730 
			 Lancashire 74,900 3,776 
			 Leicestershire 39,500 3,562 
			 Lincolnshire 35,400 2,295 
			 Norfolk 44,800 2,515 
			 North Yorkshire 34,200 2,177 
			 Northamptonshire 24,700 2,537 
			 Northumberland 24,000 2,373 
			 Nottinghamshire 40,200 2,751 
			 Oxfordshire 31,500 2,606 
			 Shropshire 12,900 1,866 
			 Somerset 24,700 1,654 
			 Staffordshire 51,400 3,209 
			 Suffolk 34,800 2,528 
			 Surrey 40,400 2,936 
			 Warwickshire 36,700 3,934 
			 West Sussex 42,400 2,926 
			 Wiltshire 19,200 2,059 
			 Worcestershire 33,200 2,866 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 6,700 2,152 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 7,500 3,982 
			 Blackpool UA 9,600 3,561 
			 Bournemouth UA 11,500 2,810 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 4,600 2,219 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 17,600 3,010 
			 Bristol UA 25,900 3,264 
			 Darlington UA 4,400 2,184 
			 Derby UA 12,300 2,057 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 11,300 1,237 
			 Halton UA 7,500 2,426 
			 Hartlepool UA 6,300 2,339 
			 Herefordshire UA 8,800 2,634 
			 Isle of Wight UA 10,400 2,547 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA 11,400 1,899 
			 Leicester UA 18,100 4,683 
			 Luton UA 11,300 5,345 
			 Medway Towns UA 14,900 2,729 
			 Middlesbrough UA 7,200 2,075 
			 Milton Keynes UA 10,100 2,884 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 10,600 2,572 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 9,600 3,241 
			 North Somerset UA 11,500 3,252 
			 Nottingham UA 16,500 3,685 
			 Peterborough UA 8,100 2,645 
			 Plymouth UA 11,900 2,454 
			 Poole UA 9,900 2,242 
			 Portsmouth UA 9,800 2,288 
			 Reading UA 9,100 3,486 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 9,600 3,064 
			 Rutland UA 1,200 1,432 
			 Slough UA 5,900 3,545 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 12,000 2,243 
			 Southampton UA 15,300 2,999 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 10,100 2,860 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 7,400 1,647 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 14,600 2,834 
			 Swindon UA 8,500 2,505 
			 Telford and the Wrekin UA 7,600 2,113 
			 Thurrock UA 7,400 3,093 
			 Torbay UA 8,200 2,113 
			 Warrington UA 10,900 2,353 
			 West Berkshire UA 8,600 3,319 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 7,500 2,858 
			 Wokingham UA 6,100 3,640 
			 York UA 9,500 2,564 
			 Camden 21,900 6,119 
			 City of London 1,300 8,694 
			 Greenwich 15,000 4,746 
			 Hackney 22,700 9,384 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 14,500 5,799 
			 Islington 19,600 7,339 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 10,400 3,549 
			 Lambeth 15,900 3,725 
			 Lewisham 18,400 6,871 
			 Southwark 17,100 5,345 
			 Tower Hamlets 19,400 6,363 
			 Wandsworth 19,200 5,464 
			 Westminster 17,400 5,353 
			 Barking and Dagenham 19,000 5,611 
			 Barnet 24,900 6,666 
			 Bexley 11,900 1,865 
			 Brent 18,200 4,783 
			 Bromley 16,700 2,744 
			 Croydon 17,100 3,617 
			 Ealing 15,300 3,028 
			 Enfield 22,400 4,267 
			 Haringey 18,700 6,084 
			 Harrow 11,000 3,508 
			 Havering 14,900 2,955 
			 Hillingdon 15,100 4,168 
			 Hounslow 13,100 3,883 
			 Kingston upon Thames 8,500 3,828 
			 Merton 13,100 4,863 
			 Newham 16,100 5,538 
			 Red bridge 14,500 2,476 
			 Richmond upon Thames 12,800 4,438 
			 Sutton 10,900 2,581 
			 Waltham Forest 10,600 4,090 
			 UA = Unitary authority. (1) Domiciliary care has been defined as services helping the client to live at home, including direct payments, home care, day care, equipment and adaptations, meals and other non residential services. It also includes expenditure funded from the "Supporting People" grant that councils have classified as social services expenditure rather than housing expenditure. (2) The total number of clients receiving domiciliary care has been taken from provisional RAP data and the cost per person is therefore provisional.

Social Services: Elderly

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much on average has been recouped in charges for  (a) personal social services,  (b) home care and  (c) day care for each older person in each local authority in 2008-09.

Phil Hope: We are informed by the Information Centre for health and social care that it collects and publishes data on local authority expenditure recouped in sales, fees and charges for older people—aged 65 and over. Information for 2008-09 will not be available until later in 2009.
	The following table shows the total amount recouped in sales fees and charges by each council with adult social services responsibility (CASSR) and the amount relating to home care and day care for older people in 2007-08. Information about charges paid by individual older people is not held centrally.
	
		
			  £000 
			O f which: 
			  CASSR  Sales, fees and charges( 1)  Home care  Day care 
			 Barnsley 11,080 1,520 65 
			 Birmingham 33,491 5,388 3 
			 Bolton 7,620 1,689 93 
			 Bradford 21,215 2,468 388 
			 Bury 7,196 1,005 98 
			 Calderdale 9,118 861 133 
			 Coventry 9,811 1,060 74 
			 Doncaster 14,261 1,889 151 
			 Dudley 9,558 2,052 0 
			 Gateshead 8,533 1,600 14 
			 Kirklees 16,830 2,951 152 
			 Knowsley 6,114 253 79 
			 Leeds 19,415 1,154 109 
			 Liverpool 9,881 2,984 113 
			 Manchester 13,263 1,730 320 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 10,067 1,945 106 
			 North Tyneside 8,231 1,396 0 
			 Oldham 6,756 0 0 
			 Rochdale 8,173 1,045 43 
			 Rotherham 11,553 1,357 98 
			 Salford 10,034 1,579 291 
			 Sandwell 10,955 1,185 247 
			 Sefton 12,824 651 225 
			 Sheffield 24,556 2,570 258 
			 Solihull 5,797 1,190 144 
			 South Tyneside 6,367 877 86 
			 St. Helens 8,969 2,043 156 
			 Stockport 9,170 0 51 
			 Sunderland 12,841 2,262 237 
			 Tameside 14,477 2,310 62 
			 Trafford 5,981 945 104 
			 Wakefield 10,776 2,240 86 
			 Walsall 8,540 1,482 109 
			 Wigan 9,986 1,496 271 
			 Wirral 14,935 2,837 0 
			 Wolverhampton 12,303 1,556 18 
			 Bedfordshire 9,898 1,158 139 
			 Buckinghamshire 13,740 2,210 514 
			 Cambridgeshire 15,301 4,580 129 
			 Cheshire 28,248 5,645 1,128 
			 Cornwall 14,889 2,485 111 
			 Cumbria 36,078 5,569 425 
			 Derbyshire 25,919 0 99 
			 Devon 36,423 3,504 948 
			 Dorset 14,210 2,598 350 
			 Durham 25,413 9,855 92 
			 East Sussex 18,461 1,156 160 
			 Essex 57,753 5,891 317 
			 Gloucestershire 12,864 2,867 401 
			 Hampshire 35,516 7,112 92 
			 Hertfordshire 27,615 5,308 143 
			 Isles of Scilly 184 32 0 
			 Kent 45,427 7,600 163 
			 Lancashire 39,515 8,004 27 
			 Leicestershire 21,895 3,618 97 
			 Lincolnshire 25,583 3,712 12 
			 Norfolk 40,564 5,029 46 
			 North Yorkshire 23,842 3,130 662 
			 Northamptonshire 19,091 1,981 258 
			 Northumberland 17,502 3,251 172 
			 Nottinghamshire 30,807 5,006 130 
			 Oxfordshire 18,495 3,444 168 
			 Shropshire 10,479 1,003 150 
			 Somerset 20,579 3,910 217 
			 Staffordshire 27,957 4,930 555 
			 Suffolk 23,864 2,774 112 
			 Surrey 24,941 1,993 88 
			 Warwickshire 13,319 4,026 4 
			 West Sussex 27,479 2,376 102 
			 Wiltshire 10,858 876 134 
			 Worcestershire 12,938 2,314 160 
			 Bath and Somerset UA 5,520 363 1 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 5,640 881 23 
			 Blackpool UA 6,432 736 80 
			 Bournemouth UA 6,704 1,333 446 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 2,590 429 14 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 11,385 1,410 334 
			 Bristol UA 16,589 3,029 32 
			 Darlington UA 5,130 499 0 
			 Derby UA 8,320 1 55 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 16,614 1,805 165 
			 Halton UA 4,015 421 16 
			 Hartlepool UA 6,146 601 4 
			 Herefordshire UA 4,747 254 63 
			 Isle of Wight UA 6,743 954 126 
			 Kingston upon Hull UA 11,229 1,137 68 
			 Leicester UA 9,976 1,505 149 
			 Luton UA 4,698 976 85 
			 Medway Towns UA 7,113 1,767 79 
			 Middlesbrough UA 4,775 585 85 
			 Milton Keynes UA 5,712 1,078 97 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 6,659 1,050 51 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 6,281 966 49 
			 North Somerset UA 9,489 1,213 20 
			 Nottingham UA 7,925 831 198 
			 Peterborough UA 5,027 1,346 54 
			 Plymouth UA 11,175 1,374 0 
			 Poole UA 4,704 1,226 166 
			 Portsmouth UA 6,438 1,433 37 
			 Reading UA 3,144 770 21 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 1,994 741 2 
			 Rutland UA 1,411 228 42 
			 Slough UA 2,792 519 77 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 8,154 1,521 51 
			 Southampton UA 5,986 952 2 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 8,373 1,158 32 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 6,268 708 7 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 10,314 1,790 97 
			 Swindon UA 4,845 828 74 
			 Telford and the Wrekin UA 3,898 582 24 
			 Thurrock UA 5,651 835 9 
			 Torbay UA 8,311 757 205 
			 Warrington UA 9,095 1,585 18 
			 West Berkshire UA 3,852 1,244 41 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 3,433 669 44 
			 Wokingham UA 3,029 747 0 
			 York UA 7,056 1,073 195 
			 Camden 5,401 492 105 
			 City of London 230 0 0 
			 Greenwich 5,309 0 0 
			 Hackney 4,491 1,355 44 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,468 0 0 
			 Islington 5,378 910 43 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 3,393 654 83 
			 Lambeth 6,190 790 24 
			 Lewisham 7,279 1,460 29 
			 Southwark 5,304 0 122 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,632 0 42 
			 Wandsworth 7,087 1,918 0 
			 Westminster 5,947 1,266 7 
			 Barking and Dagenham 4,218 271 0 
			 Barnet 7,686 1,009 0 
			 Bexley 8,778 1,721 16 
			 Brent 8,106 1,361 137 
			 Bromley 10,822 2,710 -4 
			 Croydon 7,657 2,047 202 
			 Ealing 7,912 916 44 
			 Enfield 10,814 1,900 184 
			 Haringey 5,697 781 129 
			 Harrow 5,477 2,036 51 
			 Havering 7,685 1,398 3 
			 Hillingdon 6,755 1,254 150 
			 Hounslow 5,166 732 106 
			 Kingston upon Thames 5,476 970 106 
			 Merton 6,633 1,499 112 
			 Newham 4,748 0 58 
			 Redbridge 10,959 1,162 191 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6,527 1,270 124 
			 Sutton 6,018 1,688 190 
			 Waltham Forest 6,085 767 197 
			 UA = Unitary authority (1 )Sales, fees and charges includes income from housing benefits, rent from service users in group homes, charges for day care, home care and meals as well as contributions towards equipment and adaptations and the sale of meals for non-residents and charges for private phone calls.  Client contributions through sales, fees and charges includes income from housing benefits, rent from service users in group homes, charges for day care, home care and meals as well as contributions towards equipment and adaptations and the sale of meals for non-residents and charges for private phone calls.  The information provided on expenditure is derived from data collected annually on social services expenditure from CASSRs on the form PSS EX1. This collection has been the responsibility of the Information Centre since April 2005. Prior to this date, data were collected by the Department of Health.

Social Services: Expenditure

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of spending on personal care that was met by  (a) local authorities,  (b) the NHS and  (c) individual service users or their families in 2008-09.

Phil Hope: We have made no estimate of the proportion of personal care spending that is met by local authorities, individuals, or the national health service.

Stafford Hospital

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will request that the Healthcare Commission expedite the publication of its report on Stafford Hospital.

Ben Bradshaw: As an independent body, it is for the Healthcare Commission to determine when it publishes its reports.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the evidential basis was for the statement made in paragraph 5.28 of Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health that 'since the launch of our Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, we have reversed the previous upward trend in teenage pregnancy'; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of the guidance referred to in paragraph 5.29 of Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether consideration was given by his Department to including in Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health reference to  (a) reducing the frequency of sexual intercourse,  (b) delaying the age of first intercourse,  (c) restricting intercourse to one long-term partner and  (d) abstinence; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what the evidential basis is that the policies contained in Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health will reduce  (a) the teenage pregnancy rate and  (b) the abortion rate for young persons under 19 years of age; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that between 1994 and 1998, the under-18 conception rate 'increased' by 12.0 per cent. In contrast, between 1998 and 2007 (the latest year for which data are available) the rate has fallen by 10.7 per cent.
	The guidance referred to in paragraph 5.29 of "Healthy lives brighter futures: The strategy for children and young people's health" is entitled "Teenage Pregnancy Next Steps: Guidance for Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts on Effective Delivery of Local Strategies". A copy of this guidance—issued in 2006—has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	This guidance was based on international evidence, as well as in-depth reviews in local areas that were carried out by the Teenage Pregnancy Unit and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, which identified factors that were evident in areas where rates had fallen, but were either absent or being delivered less intensively in similar areas where rates were static or increasing.
	The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has always included action to support young people to resist pressure to engage in early sexual activity and to promote the benefits of delaying first sex, by giving them the knowledge and skills they need to make safe and healthy choices about sex and relationships. These messages are included in both the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy media campaign and the guidance to schools on sex and relationships education (SRE).
	In contrast, there is no evidence that education that promotes abstinence until marriage is effective. Recent evidence from the United States shows that young people who pledged to abstain from sex until they were married had sexual behaviour in the next five years similar to that of teenagers who had not taken an abstinence pledge ("Pediatrics" 2009, doi:10.1542/peds.2009-0407). Teenagers who had pledged abstinence, and a matched control group who had not taken a pledge, did not differ in rates of premarital sex.

Wheelchairs

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2009,  Official Report, column 1177W, on wheelchairs, what categories and types of wheelchair are included under specialised wheelchair; and what percentage of wheelchair referrals are on a consultant-led pathway.

Phil Hope: Data on consultant-led referrals for wheelchairs are not collected centrally.
	National health service wheelchair services are responsible for the assessment of each individuals' needs before supplying a suitable wheelchair. A list of all the categories and types of wheelchair that may be classed as specialised is not available as many will be tailored to individuals' or their carers' requirements.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Alcoholic Drinks: Death

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people in each age group in  (a) the City of Southampton and  (b) Test Valley borough died of alcohol-related illnesses in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people in (a) the City of Southampton and (b) Test Valley borough died of alcohol-related illnesses in each age group in each of the last five years. (261479)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause in (a) Southampton unitary authority and (b) Test Valley local authority district, by age group, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of deaths with an alcohol-related underlying cause of death( 1) , Southampton unitary authority and Test Valley local authority district( 2) , by age group( 3) , 2003-07( 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Area  Age group  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Southampton 15-34 0 1 1 1 0 
			  35-54 17 11 17 17 10 
			  55-74 13 13 13 11 21 
			  75+ 1 0 4 3 1 
			  Total 31 25 35 32 32 
			
			 Test Valley 15-34 0 0 1 0 0 
			  35-54 1 3 3 3 2 
			  55-74 7 8 9 3 2 
			  75+ 2 1 3 1 1 
			  Total 10 12 16 7 5 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death categorised as alcohol-related, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (3) There were no deaths in age group 1-14 years. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1. Alcohol-related causes of death—International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  Cause of death  ICD-10 code(s) 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol F10 
			 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol G31.2 
			 Alcoholic polyneuropathy G62.1 
			 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy I42.6 
			 Alcoholic gastritis K29.2 
			 Alcoholic liver disease K70 
			 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified K73 
			 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver (excl. Biliary cirrhosis) K74 (excl. K74.3-K74.5) 
			 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis K86.0 
			 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X45 
			 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol X65 
			 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent Y15

Death: Weather

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many excess winter deaths occurred in  (a) Sutton and Cheam,  (b) Carshalton and Wallington and  (c) Greater London in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many excess winter deaths occurred in  (a) Sutton and Cheam,  (b) Carshalton and Wallington and  (c) Greater London in each of the last 10 years.
	Estimates of excess winter deaths are based on the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). The following table provides the number of excess winter deaths that occurred in  (a) Sutton and Cheam parliamentary constituency,  (b) Carshalton and Wallington parliamentary constituency and  (c) London Government Office region for the years 1997-98 to 2006-07 (the latest figures available).
	
		
			  Excess winter deaths,( 1,2)  Sutton and Cheam parliamentary constituency, Carshalton and Wallington parliamentary constituency and London government office region,( 3 ) 1997-98 to 2006-07( 4) 
			   Parliamentary constituency  Government office region 
			   Sutton and Cheam  Carshalton and Wallington  London 
			 1997-1998 40 40 2,520 
			 1998-1999 70 80 4,940 
			 1999-2000 90 60 5,870 
			 2000-2001 40 70 2,780 
			 2001-2002 60 30 2,750 
			 2002-2003 — 30 2,810 
			 2003-2004 10 50 2,040 
			 2004-2005 60 60 3,440 
			 2005-2006 50 80 2,560 
			 2006-2007 50 10 2,100 
			 (1) The estimated number of excess winter deaths is the difference between the number of deaths during the four winter months (December to March) and the average number of deaths during the preceding four months (August to November) and the following four months (April to July). Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) A hyphen (—) denotes there were no excess winter deaths during the period specified. (3) Based on boundaries as of 2008. (4) Figures are based on deaths occurring in each month.

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been claimed in reimbursable expenses by special advisers 
	(1)  in the Prime Minister's Office in 2008-09 at the latest date for which figures are available;
	(2)  in the Cabinet Office in 2008-09 to date.

Kevin Brennan: Costs incurred on reimbursable expenses in 2008-09, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2009 summer recess.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what his Department's entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The Department's budget for entertainment is included in the Department's hospitality budget and is not separately identifiable. Therefore the information requested is not available.
	Any expenditure on entertainment is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in "Managing Public Money" and other Treasury guidance.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the Prime Minister's Office entertainment budget was in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: Details of the cost of entertainment and hospitality in Downing Street and Chequers are published annually. For information for 2007-08 I refer the hon. Member to the written statement given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister 22 July 2008  Official Report, columns 108-10WS. For information for 2006-07 I refer the hon. Member to the answer he gave my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Shona Mclsaac) on 25 July 2007  Official Report, column 1108W. For information for 2005-06 I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by the then Prime Minister (right hon. Tony Blair) on 11 October 2006  Official Report, column 794W. For information for 2004-05 and 2003-04 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 21 July 2005  Official Report, column WA261.

Departmental Official Hospitality

Robert Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on  (a) alcohol and  (b) food in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on alcohol is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in "Managing Public Money" and the Treasury handbook on "Regularity and Propriety".

Departmental Press

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Consultation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what payments for  (a) polling and  (b) other services the Cabinet Office made to (i) Deborah Mattinson and (ii) Opinion Leader Research Limited since 31 December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Kevin Brennan: The Cabinet Office has not made any payments to Deborah Mattinson since 31 December 2007.
	Since the same date, the Cabinet Office has made one payment of £22,869.03 to Opinion Leader Research Limited for undertaking qualitative research with young people and parents in deprived communities.

Departmental Rail Travel

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  what the cost was of travel by train by staff in his Department in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the cost was of travel by train by staff in the Prime Minister's Office in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office and therefore the answer provided is for the whole of the Cabinet Office including the Prime Minister and his office.
	The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.
	The Cabinet Office is committed to minimising travel costs and reducing our carbon footprint and has an official travel policy that supports this. As part of the Cabinet Office's drive towards improving efficiency and reducing costs, an online booking service for UK rail tickets has been introduced in the department.

Education: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many people  (a) were in full-time education and  (b) retired from employment in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in each year since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question asking how many people were in  (a) full-time education and  (b) retired from employment in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire, in each year since 1997.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. Estimates are provided for the number of working age people (Female 16-59, Male 16-64) who stated they are full-time students. A full time student is defined as being at school, following a sandwich course or full time at university or college. Estimates are also provided for the number of people retired from employment, defined as those who are economically inactive and report their main reason for inactivity as being retired.
	Table 1 shows the number of working age persons in full-time education resident in Hertfordshire in each year since 1997. The estimates from 1997 to 2004 are for the 12 month period ending February each year and taken from the annual LFS. Estimates for 2005 to 2008 are for the 12 month period ending March each year and taken from the APS. Estimates for July 2007 to June 2008 have also been provided, the most recent period for which estimates are available. Estimates are not shown for the Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency as they are based on small samples and are considered too unreliable.
	Table 2 shows the number of people who are retired from employment resident in Hertfordshire and the Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency in each year since 1998. Estimates are provided for the 12 months ending in February from 1998, the earliest period for which estimates are available, to 2004, from annual LFS, and for the 12 months ending in March from 2005 to 2008, from APS. Estimates for July 2007 to June 2008 have also been provided, the most recent for which figures are available.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in Table 1 and Table 2.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons working age( 1)  in full-time education( 2)  in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Hemel Hempstead in each year since 1997. 
			Thousand 
			  12 months ending  Hertfordshire  Hemel Hempstead 
			 February 1998 42 — 
			 February 1999 48 — 
			 February 2000 50 — 
			 February 2001 43 — 
			 February 2002 43 — 
			 February 2003 44 — 
			 February 2004 43 — 
			 March 2005 42 — 
			 March 2006 42 — 
			 March 2007 47 — 
			 March 2008 48 -- 
			 June 2008(3) **48 ****— 
			 '—' = Figures are disclosive or statistically unreliable. (1) Working age (Females 16 to 59, Males 16 to 64) (2) Coverage applies to all respondents, of working age, who stated they are full-time students. A full time student is defined as being at school, following a sandwich course or full time at university or college. (3) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below.  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (% Statistical Robustness * 0 [le] CV 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 [le] CV 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 [le] CV 20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of people who are retired( 1)  from employment in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) Hemel Hempstead in each year since 1997 
			  Thousand 
			  12 months ending  Hertfordshire  Hemel Hempstead 
			 February 1998 — — 
			 February 1999 144 10 
			 February 2000 146 10 
			 February 2001 150 13 
			 February 2002 160 14 
			 February 2003 169 14 
			 February 2004 169 14 
			 March 2005 156 14 
			 March 2006 162 15 
			 March 2007 161 13 
			 March 2008 155 17 
			 June 2008(2) **153 ***18 
			 '—' = Data are not available for the period March 1997 to February 1998 (1) The number of people retired from employment is defined as those who are economically inactive and report their main reason for inactivity as being retired. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality below. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220  Key Coefficient of Variation (CV) (% Statistical Robustness * 0 [le] CV 5 Estimates are considered precise ** 5 [le] CV 10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 [le] CV 20 Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes  Source: Annual Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey

Electoral Register

Mark Oaten: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of individuals on the electoral register are listed anonymously.  [Official Report, 21 April 2009, Vol. 491, c. 3-4MC.]

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 4 March 2009
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking what percentage of individuals on the electoral register are listed anonymously. (260601).
	Just over one in one thousand individuals registered to vote in the local/European elections are listed anonymously in England and Wales, for 2008. Just under one in one thousand are listed in Scotland, for 2008. The legislation for anonymous registration is not yet enacted in Northern Ireland.

Employment

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) non-UK born UK nationals and  (b) non-UK born non-UK nationals his Department estimates there are in the working population of Britain; and what proportion of the total working population each category represents.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) non-UK born UK nationals and (b) non-UK born non-UK nationals it is estimated there are in the working population of Britain; and what proportion of that working population each category represents.
	The requested information is shown in the attached table.
	The estimates are derived from the Labour Force Survey. As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. This is assessed in a footnote to the table.
	The figures in the table are derived from the LFS microdata which are weighted using the official population estimates published in autumn 2007. Consequently they are not entirely consistent with the figures published in the monthly Labour Market Statistics First Release, or the non-UK born employment figures published every quarter, which are weighted using more up-to-date population estimates. However, in this case the difference is very small. The figures in the table add up to 3,820 thousand non-UK born people in employment, compared with a figure of 3,819 thousand published on 11 February.
	
		
			  Non-UK born people aged 16 and over in employment by nationality, three month period ending December 2008, United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousands and per cent 
			   Number( 1)  As a percentage of all people in employment 
			 UK nationals *1,466 5 
			 Non-UK nationals *2,354 8 
			 (1 )Coefficients of Variation have been calculated as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below:  Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV - for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220.  Key Coefficient Statistical robustness  * 0 [le] CV <5 Estimates are considered precise. ** 5 [le] CV <10 Estimates are considered reasonably precise. *** 10 [le] CV < 20 Estimates are considered acceptable. **** CV ≥ 20 Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes.  Note: It should be noted that the above estimates exclude people in most types of communal establishment (e.g. hotels, boarding houses, hostels, mobile home sites etc).  Source:  Labour Force Survey

Food Poisoning

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many deaths were caused by food poisoning by  (a) salmonella,  (b) campylobacter,  (c) E. coli and  (d) other food-borne pathogens in each of the last five years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths were caused by food poisoning by (a) salmonella, (b)campylobacter, (c) E. coli and (d) other food borne pathogens in each of the last five years. (261500)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths with an underlying cause of (a) salmonella infection, (b) Campylobacter infection, (c) Escherichia coli infection and (d) other food poisoning causes, from 2003 to 2007 (the latest year available). No information is available on whether the infection that caused these deaths was specifically acquired through food, water or any other source.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an underlying cause of salmonella, campylobacter and Escherichia coli infections, and other food poisoning causes, England and Wales, 2003-07( 1,2,3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Cause  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Salmonella 18 14 16 13 16 
			 Campylobacter 3 3 4 4 1 
			 Escherichia Coli 1 2 2 2 3 
			 Other food poisoning 37 29 25 39 45 
			 Total 59 48 47 58 65 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific causes of death, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in the box below. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1: Causes of death related to food poisoning—International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) 
			  ICD-10 code(s)  Cause of death 
			 A02 Other salmonella infections (excluding typhoid and paratyphoid fevers) 
			 A04.5 Campylobacter enteritis 
			 A04.0 Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection 
			 A04.1 Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection 
			 A04.2 Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli infection 
			 A04.3 Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection 
			 A04.4 Other intestinal Escherichia coli infection 
			 A00-A01 Cholera, typhoid and paratyphoid fevers 
			 A05 Other bacterial food-bome intoxications 
			 A07 Other protozoal intestinal diseases 
			 A32 Listeriosis 
			 B66.1 Clonorchiasis 
			 B66.3 Fascioliasis 
			 B66.4 Paragonimiasis 
			 B68-B70 Taeniasis, cysticercosis, diphyllobothriasis and sparganosis 
			 B75 Trichinellosis 
			 B81.0 Anisakiasis 
			 T62 Toxic effect of other noxious substances eaten as food 
			 T64 Toxic effect of aflatoxin and other mycotoxin food contaminants 
			 X49 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to other and unspecified chemicals and noxious substances

Gastrointestinal Cancer

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many residents of  (a) Ribble Valley,  (b) Lancashire and  (c) England were diagnosed with bowel cancer in each of the last 10 years.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many residents of (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) England were diagnosed with bowel cancer in each of the last 10 years.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2006. Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of bowel cancer in each calendar year since 1997 for residents of (a) Ribble Valley, (b) Lancashire and (c) England are in Table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1. Number of newly diagnosed cases of bowel cancer( 1) , persons, Ribble Valley local authority, county of Lancashire, England, 1997 to 2006 
			  Area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Ribble Valley 38 31 33 43 31 46 35 42 33 29 
			 Lancashire 644 696 696 729 721 693 672 697 688 708 
			 England 28,112 28,750 29,058 28,951 28,216 28,218 28,496 29,430 29,945 30,046 
			 (1) Bowel cancer is defined as codes C18-C20 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).  Source: Office for National Statistics

Job Vacancies

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) skilled and  (b) unskilled job vacancies there were in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) the North East and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency at the latest date for which information is available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many  (a) skilled and  (b) unskilled job vacancies there were in (i) the UK, (ii) England, (iii) the North East and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency for the latest date for which information is available. (260786)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles estimates of job vacancies for the UK from the Vacancy Survey. No figures for geographic areas below UK are available from this survey. An alternative source of vacancies statistics is Jobcentre Plus administrative data, which does hold information on geographic location of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus. However, neither of these sources have information on vacancies split between skilled and unskilled jobs.

Pension Schemes: Private Sector

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many and what proportion of full-time  (a) private sector employees and  (b) public sector employees are members of a final salary pension scheme.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many and what proportion of full-time  (a) private sector employees and  (b) public sector employees are members of a final salary pension scheme. (258596)
	The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), earned out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It provides information about the levels, distribution and make-up of earnings and hours paid for employees within industries, occupations and regions. ASHE also provides estimates of UK employees by type of pension arrangements within the company. It is not designed to give estimates of the numbers of employees in a particular pension category so only proportions are provided below.
	In 2008, 86 per cent. of public sector full-time employees and 16 per cent. of private sector full-time employees were in a defined-benefit pension scheme. Final salary pension schemes are categorised as defined benefit pension schemes. Defined benefit schemes are determined by the rules of the scheme and may be related to final salary, but may also be related to the average salary over a number of years.

Population: Age

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of the population in  (a) Eastbourne,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England are (i) over 45, (ii) over 70 and (iii) over 80 years old.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question on what percentage of the population in  (a) Eastbourne,  (b) East Sussex and  (c) England are (i) over 45, (ii) over 70 and (iii) over 80 years old.
	The following table shows the percentage of the estimated resident population who are over 45, 70 and 80 years of age in England, East Sussex and Eastbourne. The estimates are for mid-2007 and are the latest available.
	
		
			  Mid-2007 Population Estimates 
			   Percentage 
			   Over 45  Over 70  Over 80 
			 England 39 11 4 
			 East Sussex 49 16 7 
			 Eastbourne 46 17 7 
			  Source:  Office for National Statistics.

Pregnant Women: Death

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many women aged  (a) 14 to 16,  (b) 17 to 21,  (c) 22 to 24,  (d) 25 to 30,  (e) 31 to 35 and  (f) 36 to 40 years old died from pregnancy-related diseases in each year since 1979.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many women aged  (a) 14 to 16,  (b) 17 to 21,  (c) 22 to 24,  (d) 25 to 30,  (e) 31 to 35 and  (f) 36 to 40 years old died from pregnancy-related diseases in each year since 1979. (261392)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths with an underlying cause related to pregnancy or childbirth for women aged  (a) 14 to 16,  (b) 17 to 21,  (c) 22 to 24,  (d) 25 to 30,  (c) 31 to 35 and  (f) 36 to 40 years old, in England and Wales, from 1979 to 2007 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths with an underlying cause of death related to pregnancy or childbirth, by age group, England and Wales, 1979 — 2007( 1,2,3) 
			   Deaths (females) 
			   14-16  17-21  22-24  25-30  31-35  36-40 
			 1979 1 7 9 28 18 9 
			 1980 0 10 6 21 19 8 
			 1981 2 9 9 15 16 3 
			 1982 1 4 3 11 12 10 
			 1983 0 8 9 21 8 8 
			 1984 0 3 13 16 8 9 
			 1985 0 6 8 10 14 5 
			 1986 0 6 8 14 7 6 
			 1987 0 6 7 16 9 8 
			 1988 0 1 3 14 12 7 
			 1989 1 6 5 21 10 8 
			 1990 1 10 6 18 17 4 
			 1991 0 3 4 17 12 8 
			 1992 0 2 6 12 18 5 
			 1993 0 1 4 16 7 3 
			 1994 1 2 3 16 16 11 
			 1995 1 4 5 12 15 7 
			 1996 0 3 8 14 12 8 
			 1997 3 4 6 6 12 7 
			 1998 0 6 4 14 12 5 
			 1999 0 0 2 9 13 5 
			 2000 0 1 2 13 10 9 
			 2001 3 4 1 9 22 6 
			 2002 0 3 3 14 10 5 
			 2003 0 1 3 16 16 6 
			 2004 0 1 5 8 17 15 
			 2005 0 4 3 12 14 10 
			 2006 0 7 3 10 11 7 
			 2007 0 5 3 8 12 13 
			 (1) Deaths with an underlying cause related to pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium were defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes 630-676 for the years 1979 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes 000-099 for the years 2001 to 2007. (2) Figures include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Public Opinion

Michael Penning: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department and its agencies spent on  (a) opinion polling,  (b) focus groups and  (c) other forms of market research in each year since 1997; what surveys were commissioned; and what the purpose was of each.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.

Teenage Pregnancy

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many girls aged 16 years and under of each age  (a) became pregnant,  (b) had an abortion,  (c) gave birth and gave the child up for adoption and  (d) gave birth and kept the child in each region in the last year for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated March 2009:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how-many girls aged 16 years and under of each age (a) became pregnant, (b) had an abortion, (c) gave birth and gave the child up for adoption and (d) gave birth and kept the child in each region in the last year for which figures are available. (261394)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of conceptions that resulted in a live birth and/or stillbirth (a maternity) or a legal termination.
	To preserve confidentiality of individuals, figures for girls aged under 15 are not available for each age. The numbers of girls that (a) became pregnant and (b) had an abortion in each Government Office Region in 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available), are shown in the attached table. Figures for 2007 are provisional.
	Information on girls that (c) gave birth and gave the child up for adoption and (d) gave birth and kept the child are not available. The attached table includes, instead, the total number of maternities to girls aged under 16.
	
		
			  Number of conceptions to girls aged under 15, 15 and 16 by Government Office Region (GOR), 2007 
			  GOR  Total number of conceptions  Number leading to an abortion  Number leading to a maternity 
			  Age under 15
			 England and Wales 2,278 1,481 797 
			 
			 North East 163 105 58 
			 North West 321 210 111 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 276 174 102 
			 East Midlands 181 117 64 
			 West Midlands 236 153 83 
			 East 184 125 59 
			 London 327 223 104 
			 South East 277 191 86 
			 South West 189 115 74 
			 Wales 124 68 56 
			 
			  Age 15
			 England and Wales 5,918 3,552 2,366 
			 
			 North East 368 201 167 
			 North West 877 526 351 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 692 400 292 
			 East Midlands 473 260 213 
			 West Midlands 727 435 292 
			 East 466 275 191 
			 London 745 522 223 
			 South East 747 467 280 
			 South West 466 279 187 
			 Wales 357 187 170 
			 
			  Age 16
			 England and Wales 13,554 6,858 6,696 
			 
			 North East 814 341 473 
			 North West 2,043 1,027 1,016 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 1,509 694 815 
			 East Midlands 1,101 512 589 
			 West Midlands 1,609 770 839 
			 East 1,164 602 562 
			 London 1,803 1,158 645 
			 South East 1,607 843 764 
			 South West 1,126 578 548 
			 Wales 778 333 445 
			  Note: Figures for 2007 are provisional

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the upgrade of the MAN support trucks used for operations in Afghanistan; and where the principal place of manufacture is for his Department's order of MAN support trucks.

Quentin Davies: To date, the cost of the upgrade for the support vehicles to theatre entry standard for operational use in Afghanistan is £18 million (excluding VAT).
	The vehicle chassis and running gear are manufactured in Austria and the final vehicle integration, a significant part of the contract equating to approx 50 per cent. of the manufacturing process, is undertaken in the UK.

Armed Forces: Absence Without Leave

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reasons are most frequently identified as causing service personnel to be absent without leave; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on reasons identified as causing service personnel to be absent without leave is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Armed Forces: Absence Without Leave

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who were absent without leave at some point in each of the last 10 years were subsequently dismissed from each of the armed services.

Bob Ainsworth: The following personnel, who have been absent without leave at some point in the last 10 years, have subsequently been dismissed. The fact that they had been absent without leave was not necessarily the reason for their dismissal.
	
		
			   Number dismissed from service 
			   Royal Navy  Army  Royal Air Force 
			 1999 5 54 0 
			 2000 5 38 0 
			 2001 10 53 — 
			 2002 5 64 — 
			 2003 14 50 0 
			 2004 7 70 0 
			 2005 — 64 0 
			 2006 0 46 0 
			 2007 9 26 0 
			 2008 6 17 0 
			 '—' Denotes less than 5  Notes: 1. Data are captured using different methods for each of the three services and the figures are not directly comparable on a tri-service basis. 2. The Royal Navy (RN) figures for this answer were drawn from the centrally held RN Discipline Database and unlike previous returns this table includes charges of AWOL for periods of absence of less than 24 hours. 3. The RN figures include Royal Marines subject to the Naval Discipline Act at the time of the offence. 4. The RN figures do not include personnel who were convicted of AWOL and later dismissed at a hearing with AWOL not recorded as an offence being dealt with at that final trial. 5. The Army figures include only those who were dismissed solely on the basis of AWOL (i.e. there were no other offences) but may include one or more counts of AWOL. They do not include instances where AWOL may have been recorded as subordinate to a more serious offence. 6. The RAF figures are for those personnel reported as AWOL and later dismissed for any reason (i.e. not necessarily as a direct result of being AWOL).

Armed Forces: Training

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  whether final approval has been withheld for the second risk reduction activity for the Defence Training Review;
	(2)  what activities are planned to be undertaken within the budget of the second package of risk reduction activity for the Defence Training Review;
	(3)  what steps the Secretary of State is taking in response to the parliamentary objection to the departmental minute dated 17 February 2009 concerning a contingent liability for the costs associated with the defence training review.

Bob Ainsworth: Final approval has not been withheld, however, this underwriting activity will not go live until the objections have been considered and answered in accordance with established procedure. I refer the hon. Member to my answer on 2 March 2009,  Official Report, columns 1364-65W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Andrew Mackinlay). This answer was in response to his Point of Order raised on 24 February 2009,  Official Report, column 169, and also his Early Day Motion 872. I am writing to the hon. Member for The Wrekin (Mark Pritchard) to address his Point of Order, also on 24 February and will place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
	The planned activities, to further develop the training solution and advance the new facility design and planning process, will ensure the most effective programme is let at contract signature. They will:
	Enable essential building design work which is a precondition of a successful planning application.
	Ensure the design work improves our understanding of the quality and standard of the new sustainable estate.
	Improve confidence over costs through minimising the risk of cost growth and managing other risks.
	Seek to reduce the training estate footprint and ensure the most efficient match of facilities to the training solution and assets.
	Commence essential environmental survey work to support the planning application and maintain MOD's role as a good estate steward.
	Mitigate against further programme delay and maintain key construction and new service start dates.
	Reduce risk through increased exposure of Metrix to current MOD training practice and processes.
	Identify further opportunities for training rationalisation and harmonisation.
	Develop the plans for flexible and distance learning and the introduction of improved individual leaning techniques.
	Enable quicker and more efficient reduction in military manpower, releasing personnel to the Front Line Commands following contract signature.
	Develop the proposals to reduce residential student numbers and increase student 'Pass on Time' rates.
	These activities will ensure that project momentum is maintained and planning application timescales achieved. They also aim to make sure costs are controlled to achieve an affordable, acceptable and deliverable project and to obtain maximum value for money for the taxpayer.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the time taken for a fully kitted-out soldier to exit the Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle.

Quentin Davies: During trials the approximate times taken for a soldier wearing full Osprey body armour to exit a Panther command and liaison vehicle or a Panther theatre entry standard vehicle were as follows:
	Exit through any door: five seconds.
	Exit through any hatch: two minutes.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle will be fitted with a rear exit.

Quentin Davies: The Panther command and liaison vehicle has two rear doors and one rear hatch. The Panther theatre entry standard vehicle for operations in Afghanistan has two rear doors and two rear hatches.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much weight has been added to the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle since the original specification.

Quentin Davies: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 26 November 2008,  Official Report, column 1528W.

Courts Martial

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the rules are governing attendance at court martial proceedings for  (a) relatives of the accused,  (b) victims or relatives of victims,  (c) properly interested parties,  (d) legal representatives of interested parties,  (e) representatives of Ministry of Defence,  (f) members of the press and  (g) members of the public.

Bob Ainsworth: The rules governing the attendance at courts martial proceedings are the same as those for Crown court proceedings. Courts martial are open proceedings and can be attended by all those identified in the question.

Courts Martial

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms are in place  (a) for listing court martial proceedings and  (b) to make court martial listings available to (i) interested parties, (ii) the press and (iii) online search engines.

Bob Ainsworth: Listing of courts martial proceedings is undertaken by the Military Court Service as directed by the Judge Advocate-General or a Judge Advocate. Public notices, giving details of proceedings, are posted at the relevant Military Court Centre and at the defendant's unit.
	In addition, consideration is being given to publishing appropriate listing information on the internet on a new Military Court Service website.

European External Action Service

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) defence attachés and  (b) military representatives will be appointed to the European External Action Service from (i) the UK and (ii) other EU member states.

John Hutton: There have not yet been any detailed discussions on the organisation and functioning of the proposed European External Action Service (EEAS). The decision to launch the EEAS would not be taken until after the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, but its possible creation would have no impact on the ability of national Defence Attaches and Military Representatives to perform their bilateral responsibilities.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many individuals UK forces have detained in Iraq outside Multi-National Division South East during Operation TELIC.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 March 2009
	I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 26 February 2009,  Official Report, column 394, where I made it clear that individuals captured outside Multi-National Division South East will not feature in data released by the Ministry of Defence.

Property Tax (Ascension) Ordinance

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mechanisms his Department has in place to ensure compliance with the Property Tax (Ascension) Ordinance of 2002.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence is currently in discussion with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the amount of property tax MOD should pay to the Ascension Island Government.

RAF Menwith Hill

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hon. Members have visited RAF Menwith Hill in each of the last 10 years.

Bob Ainsworth: All requests by MPs to visit RAF Menwith Hill are referred to the office of the Secretary of State for Defence. Due to national security considerations, such visits are normally restricted to those with an official oversight function such as Government Ministers and members of the all-party Intelligence and Security Committee.
	Since 1999 visits to RAF Menwith Hill by Government Ministers and members of the all-party Intelligence and Security Committee were:
	
		
			   Visitors 
			 2000 Minister for the Armed Forces 
			 2000 Intelligence and Security Committee 
			 2001 Secretary of State for Defence 
			 2004 Intelligence and Security Committee 
			 2006 Minister for the Armed Forces 
			 2006 Intelligence and Security Committee 
			 2007 Minister for the Armed Forces 
		
	
	The Shadow Spokesman for Defence also visited RAF Menwith Hill in 2001.

RAF Menwith Hill

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) US service personnel,  (b) US contractors,  (c) US civilians,  (d) Royal Air Force personnel,  (e) Ministry of Defence Policy agency personnel,  (f) Ministry of Defence Guarding Service personnel,  (g) UK army personnel,  (h) UK naval personnel,  (i) GCHQ personnel,  (j) UK contractors,  (k) UK civilians,  (l) US military chaplains and  (m) UK military chaplains are working at Menwith Hill.

Bob Ainsworth: As at 3 March 2009 the following personnel were employed at RAF Menwith Hill:
	
		
			  Employer  Number 
			 US Service Personnel 540 
			 US Civilians and Contractors 892 
			 RAF Personnel 4 
			 UK Army Personnel 0 
			 UK Naval Personnel 8 
			 UK Contractors (1)76 
			 UK Civilians (Excl MDPGA) 325 
			 US Military Chaplains 2 
			 UK Military Chaplains 0 
			 (1) The number of UK contractors' personnel working at RAF Menwith Hill may vary on a day to day basis. 
		
	
	I am withholding the number of GCHQ employees in accordance with government practice not to reveal numbers of personnel working in intelligence at specific locations. I am also withholding the numbers for both the Ministry of Defence Police and the Ministry of Defence Guard Agency for the purpose of the proper enforcement of law, and in the interests of national defence.

Sodexo

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate his Department's contracts with Sodexo in light of reports about its human rights record.

Quentin Davies: We do not intend to investigate Sodexo's contracts with the Ministry of Defence.
	The Ministry of Defence expects all of its suppliers to comply with all relevant UK law and to maintain the highest levels of honesty and integrity. MOD suppliers have a legal duty to comply with the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1988 when they are exercising public functions in the UK.

Somalia: Piracy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the European Union's Council of Ministers agreed Operation Atalanta; and on what date the UK Parliamentary Security Group granted its authority.

Bob Ainsworth: The Council of Ministers agreed in a Joint Action at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10 November 2008 to establish operation Atalanta and that it should be launched in December 2008. A draft of the Joint Action was cleared in advance by the European Scrutiny Committee on 22 October 2008. The final version of the Joint Action was submitted to the European Scrutiny Committee by the Foreign Office on 10 November 2008.

Somalia: Piracy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom the European Union's Operation Atalanta Commander Rear Admiral Philip Jones is accountable; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: In his role as EU Operation Commander for operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Philip Jones is accountable to the Political and Security Committee, a council body in which ambassadors from each of the EU member states exercise political control and strategic direction over the operation, on instructions from national authorities.
	The Political and Security Committee reports regularly on the progress of the operation to the Council of Ministers, which comprises national Ministers from each of the EU member states.

Somalia: Piracy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under whose direct authority ships deployed in EU operations fall once unanimous agreement is established in the EU Council of Ministers.

Bob Ainsworth: Ships made available voluntarily by countries to participate in EU-led military operations come under the command of the relevant Operation Commander. An Operation Commander is appointed for each EU-led military operation by the Council of Ministers of the European Union. Ships participating in Operation Atalanta, for example, come under the command of the Operation Commander Rear Admiral Philip Jones RN based in his operation headquarters at Northwood.
	The Operation Commander for each EU-led military operation reports to the Political and Security Committee, a council body in which ambassadors from each of the EU member states exercise political control and strategic direction over EU-led military operations, on instructions from national authorities.
	The Political and Security Committee reports regularly on the progress of each EU-led military operation to the Council of Ministers.

Trident Submarines

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect of his Department's plans to build a successor to the Vanguard class submarine on the number of civilians employed at the Naval Reactor Test Establishment, Dounreay.

John Hutton: The Department has not yet made any final decisions on the future role of the Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) Vulcan in delivering the successor to the Vanguard class submarine. It is therefore too soon to assess the effect on the number of Rolls-Royce employees who work there.

Trident: Scotland

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 21 July 2008,  Official Report, column 848W, on Trident: Scotland, 
	(1)  how many of the 589 civilians at HM Naval Base Clyde whose jobs directly rely upon the Trident programme are employed in  (a) engineering and science,  (b) logistics, (c) security,  (d) health and safety,  (e) outfitting and steel work and  (f) other areas;
	(2)  how many of the 589 civilians at HM Naval Base Clyde whose jobs directly rely upon the Trident programme are resident in  (a) Argyll and Bute constituency,  (b) West Dunbartonshire constituency,  (c) elsewhere in Scotland and  (d) outside Scotland;
	(3)  what the  (a) skills requirements and  (b) geographic distribution of the 250 indirect civilian jobs relating to support activities for the Trident programme in Scotland are.

John Hutton: The information requested is not held by my Department in that format.
	Action is ongoing, however, to update the December 2006 figures as part of a broader package of work. I will write to my hon. Friend when this work is complete.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Schools Commissioner

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he plans to appoint the new Schools Commissioner.

Edward Balls: The first Schools Commissioner, Sir Bruce Liddington, did an excellent job supporting the commissioning of new school places, expanding our academies programme and developing National Challenge Trusts. We have decided to wait until the post of director general for schools directorate is filled permanently before taking any decisions on how to continue this work and build on this track record of success.

School Assemblies

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what guidance his Department issues to schools on the holding of daily assemblies.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: All community, foundation or voluntary schools must offer a daily act of collective worship which is broadly of a Christian character in keeping with the religious traditions of this country. This should be appropriate to the age and family background of the pupils. Our policy and guidance on collective worship is set out in the Department's circular 1/94.

School Assemblies

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his Department's policy is on the holding of multi-faith assemblies in schools.

Jim Knight: All community, foundation or voluntary schools must offer a daily act of collective worship which is broadly of a Christian character in keeping with the religious traditions of this country. This should be appropriate to the age and family background of the pupils. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship and pupils in the sixth form have the right to withdraw themselves from collective worship without parental consent.

Educational Qualifications

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps the Government are taking to monitor the effectiveness of qualifications for pupils aged 16 to 19 in measuring their educational attainment.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The responsibility for ensuring qualifications standards falls to Ofqual, the new independent regulator of qualifications and tests. Ofqual ensures qualification standards are maintained. Ofsted inspections check for high quality delivery. The learning and skills council has developed robust systems for ensuring high quality further education provision.
	All this helps to ensure high quality learning routes for all that have led to level 2 attainment increasing by 7 per cent. and level 3 attainment by 6 per cent. since 2004.

Building Schools for the Future: Lancashire

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether the Building Schools for the Future programme in Lancashire is on schedule; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Lancashire is a wave 1 authority with 10 schools that are to be delivered in three phases across Burnley and Pendle.
	The first four schools were opened as planned in September 2008; three more are currently on site, and the final business case for the remaining three is due to be submitted this month.
	All schools are scheduled for completion before September 2010 and are therefore on programme. The remaining schools in Lancashire are in later waves of the programme.

Whiteboards

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he is taking to improve the safety of whiteboards in use in schools.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Following changes to Health and Safety Executive guidance on the positioning of projectors used with interactive whiteboards, our lead agency for technology in education wrote to all directors of children's services on 26 November 2008.
	A publicly accessible specification for the installation of AV equipment is being developed via the British Standards Institute which includes the requirement to place permanent warning signs next to whiteboards. This specification is expected to be live for public use in April 2009.

Musical Instrument Lessons: Take-up

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what progress is being made in assisting more school students to learn to play a musical instrument.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have invested £332 million to 2011 in making a reality of our pledge that all primary children will have an opportunity to learn a musical instrument. So far music services report that over 50 per cent. of KS2 children are benefiting from these wider opportunities to access instruments and vocal provision, and their projection is that the figure will rise to 80 per cent. by 2011.

14-19 Diplomas

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of levels of take-up of the 14-19 diplomas; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Our latest information shows that around 12,000 young people are currently working towards a diploma qualification. Learners are based in over 140 consortia, in 100 local authorities.

Child Protection: Independent Schools

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether he plans to increase child protection regulation in independent schools.

Beverley Hughes: Sir Roger Singleton, chair of the Independent Safeguarding Authority is currently leading a review of the arrangements for safeguarding children in independent schools, non-maintained special schools and boarding schools. The review will examine the practical operation of the current statutory and non-statutory safeguarding provisions which have been in place for several years and will establish whether any further improvements are needed. Sir Roger is shortly due to report on his findings.

Youth Justice Board: Reoffending

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when he last met the Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales to discuss ways to reduce re-offending by young people.

Beverley Hughes: My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Justice and I last met the chair and chief executive of the Youth Justice Board, to discuss progress on reducing juvenile reoffending on 3 March 2009. There was an 18.7 per cent. reduction in the frequency rate of juvenile reoffending between 2000 and 2006; the 2007 results will be published on 19 March.

School Finances

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what his policy is in respect of levels of financial balances and reserves held by schools.

Jim Knight: It is sound financial management for schools to retain a small surplus from year to year, but balances should not be excessive. We expect schools and local authorities to work together to reduce the level of balances, and we will consider further action if they do not.

Apprenticeships: Preston

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people under 18 years of age resident in Preston completed an apprenticeship in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In Preston in 2007/08 160 people aged 16 to 18 completed an apprenticeship, up from only 70 in 2003/04. Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill provisions aim to ensure an apprenticeship place is available for all suitably qualified young people by 2013 and are key to delivering our ambition for one in five young people to be in an apprenticeship in the next decade. We have announced an additional £140 million to provide 35,000 additional places this year, 21,000 of these in the public sector.

Dyslexia

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department classifies dyslexia as a learning difficulty.

Edward Balls: Yes. My Department's guidance "Data Collection by type of Special Educational Need" (issued in 2005) explains that pupils with specific learning difficulties may have a particular difficulty in learning to read, write, spell or manipulate numbers so that their performance in these areas is below their performance in other areas. The guidance goes on to say that specific learning difficulties include dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Dyslexia and dyspraxia are also provided as examples of specific learning difficulties in the SEN Code of Practice.

Children's Services: Public Accountability

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps he plans to take to promote public accountability of the management of children's services.

Beverley Hughes: The local authority's Lead Member for Children's Services is directly accountable to the local electorate. The LM has a crucial role in defining local priorities and outcomes, and in working with the Director of Children's Services, to manage children's services. We will shortly issue revised statutory guidance to clarify the roles and responsibilities of both Lead Member and Director of Children's Services.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families with reference to the answer of 4 June 2008,  Official Report, column 947W, on apprentices, how many apprentices his Department currently employs.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of apprentices the Department currently employs is 20.

Children: Databases

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the development costs of ContactPoint have been; and what the estimated maintenance costs are for ContactPoint in 2009.

Beverley Hughes: The estimated development and set-up cost of ContactPoint is £224 million (most of which is expected to be incurred by the end of the financial year 2009-2010). This includes: the costs of adapting existing systems that will supply data to ContactPoint and the costs of ensuring that data are accurate; adapting the day-to-day systems used by practitioners so they can access ContactPoint from them; and the costs of introducing robust arrangements to ensure proper security, and effective ContactPoint user training.
	The latest estimate for running (maintenance) costs in 2009-10 is just under £44 million including inflation, of which most will go directly to local authorities to fund staff to ensure the ongoing running, maintenance, operation and security of ContactPoint.

Children: Databases

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1067-68W, on children: databases, what the  (a) necessary safeguarding and  (b) child protection procedures referred to are.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 5 March 2009
	The  (a) necessary safeguarding and  (b) child protection procedures referred to in the previous reply of 26 February 2009,  Official Report, columns 1067-68W, are those set out in the Government's statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006). These processes are those established for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and are those used in any circumstance where concerns are raised about the safety or welfare of a child.

Climbing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which of the myplace projects approved by his Department have climbing walls which meet the standard approved by the British Mountaineering Council; how many instructors are provided for each climbing wall; to what standard each instructor is trained; which climbing walls include ropes; what height each rope is; and how many projects were designed in consultation with the British Mountaineering Council.

Beverley Hughes: All applications to "myplace" were assessed by the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) against the criteria set out in guidance materials. Investment decisions were made by BIG's investment committee on behalf of DCSF.
	BIG report that 23 of the 62 projects funded to date contained plans to provide a climbing wall within their application form. No data are held on the nature or quality standard of these proposed climbing walls, as this information was not requested in the "myplace" application form.

Climbing

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what discussions his Department has had with  (a) Sport England and  (b) the British Mountaineering Council on the development of climbing walls in his Department's myplace project.

Beverley Hughes: The Department has not had any discussions yet with either Sport England or the British Mountaineering Council on the development of climbing walls within "myplace" projects.
	The Big Lottery technical team and the "myplace" support and development team will provide advice and guidance to "myplace" projects on a wide range of building design matters including climbing walls. All "myplace" projects' construction plans have to be agreed with Big Lottery Fund's technical team and comply with all relevant standards.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what campaigns his Department has supported in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Department has delivered 10 advertising campaigns in the last 12 months. The campaign titles are as follows:
	Childcare and Early Years
	Diplomas
	Frank
	Modern Foreign Languages (MFL)
	National Year of Reading
	Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
	Cyber-bullying
	Teenage Pregnancy
	Who Do We Think We Are
	Parent Know How.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what grants of more than £1,000 his Department has made to an outside body in the last 12 months.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: This question can be answered only at disproportionate cost. The total amount allocated for grant payments as a proportion of the Department's 2008-09 Supply Estimate is £49.3 billion or 95.5 per cent.
	The Department annually makes over 130,000 separate payments. It is not possible to distinguish individual grant payments from other types of financial transactions without breaching the disproportionate cost limit.

Further Education: Admissions

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many full-time equivalent places he has allocated to further education colleges for 16 to 19 year old education and training in each year from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

Jim Knight: Further education allocations are made on the basis of standard learner numbers (SLN) and not on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis. SLN's take account of the actual size of a learner's learning programme while FTE's calculate volumes in relation to full-time learning (defined as a minimum of 450 guided learning hours).
	The number of SLN's allocated to colleges in 2008/09 was 1,017,000, and the planned volume of SLN's for colleges in 2009/10 is 1,021,000. These 2009/10 volumes will be amended in light of the allocations process to colleges, which is intended to be completed by 13 March 2009.
	Allocations for 2010/11 will be determined through the allocations process in the autumn. The 2011/12 allocations will be subject to the next spending review.

GCSE: Disadvantaged

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals were entered for GCSEs in each subject in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and proportion of pupils( 1)  eligible for free school meals who were entered for GCSEs in each subject( 2)  in 2008 
			  Course  Number  Percentage( 3) 
			 Full GCSE English Literature 47,169 63.2 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Electronics 1,068 1.4 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Food Technology 7,397 9.9 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Graphics 5,703 7.6 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Resistant Materials Technology 8,155 10.9 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Systems Control 426 0.6 
			 Full GCSE Design and Technology and Textiles Technology 4,458 6.0 
			 Full GCSE Art and Design 18,334 24.5 
			 Full GCSE History 13,338 17.9 
			 Full GCSE Geography 11,518 15.4 
			 Full GCSE French 10,237 13.7 
			 Full GCSE German 3,193 4.3 
			 Full GCSE Business Studies 5,713 7.6 
			 Full GCSE Religious Studies 15,747 21.1 
			 Short GCSE Religious Studies 23,616 31.6 
			 Full GCSE Physical Education 11,403 15.3 
			 Full GCSE Physics 2,078 2.8 
			 Full GCSE Chemistry 2,130 2.9 
			 Full GCSE Biological Science 2,732 3.7 
			 Full GCSE Drama 8,742 11.7 
			 Full GCSE Information Technology 5,299 7.1 
			 Short GCSE Information Technology 5,643 7.6 
			 Full GCSE Spanish 3,386 4.5 
			 Full GCSE Music 3,303 4.4 
			 Full GCSE Maths 68,365 91.5 
			 Full GCSE English 66,098 88.5 
			 Full GCSE Double English 544 0.7 
			 Full GCSE Single Award Science 56,181 75.2 
			 Full GCSE Statistics 6,587 8.8 
			 Full GCSE Media, Film and Television Studies 7,445 10.0 
			 Full GCSE Fine Art 4,169 5.6 
			 Full GCSE Office Technology 3,941 5.3 
			 Full GCSE Home Economics: Child Development 3,735 5.0 
			 Full GCSE Dutch 188 0.3 
			 Full GCSE Italian 171 0.2 
			 Full GCSE Modern Greek 30 0.0 
			 Full GCSE Portuguese 271 0.4 
			 Full GCSE Arabic 571 0.8 
			 Full GCSE Bengali 649 0.9 
			 Full GCSE Chinese 110 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Gujarati 42 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Japanese 41 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Modern Hebrew 14 0.0 
			 Full GCSE Panjabi 102 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Polish 54 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Russian 89 0.1 
			 Full GCSE Turkish 527 0.7 
			 Full GCSE Urdu 1,365 1.8 
			 Full GCSE Persian 158 0.2 
			 Short GCSE Social Science Citizenship 10,195 13.7 
			 Full GCSE Double Award Science 101 0.1 
			 Vocational GCSE Business 2,472 3.3 
			 Vocational GCSE Health and Social Care 4,518 6.0 
			 Vocational GCSE Leisure and Tourism 1,793 2.4 
			 Vocational GCSE Science 3,092 4.1 
			 (1) Only those pupils at the end of key stage 4 are included. (2) GCSE subjects that are not classified on the National Pupil Database have not been included. (3) Proportion of all pupils eligible for free school meals.  Source: National Pupil Database

Gifted Children: GCE A-Level

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children registered as gifted and talented gained three or more A Grades at A Level in  (a) 2005 and  (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: holding answer 3 March 2009
	National data on gifted and talented pupils have only been collected since 2006. In that year 3,162 students aged 16 to 18 identified as gifted and talented in maintained schools achieved three or more A grades at A level. The corresponding figure for 2008 was 7,041. These figures do not include young people attending post-16 institutions, for which equivalent data are not available.

Nurseries: Closures

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the rate of closure of nurseries in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: During the period from 31 March 2008 to 31 August 2008 (the latest period for which figures are available) the number of Ofsted-registered full day care settings rose by 325 from 14,275 to 14,600. The number of places available in those settings increased by 13,100 from 622,500 to 635,600 over the same period.

Private Education

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many independent special schools there were in each local authority area in each year since 1997.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The number of independent schools catering wholly, or mainly, for pupils with special educational needs; in each local authority area; in each year since 1997, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Bamet 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Barnsley 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bexley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Birmingham 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 6 7 7 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Blackpool 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Bolton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 
			 Bournemouth 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Bracknell Forest 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bradford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 
			 Brent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Brighton and Hove 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 
			 Bristol City of 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 5 5 
			 Bromley 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Buckinghamshire 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 
			 Bury 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 
			 Calderdale 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 3 3 4 5 4 5 5 5 6 9 10 11 11 
			 Camden 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Cheshire 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3  3 5 5 5 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Comwall 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Coventry 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 
			 Croydon 1 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 7 7 
			 Cumbria 8 3 9 9 10 10 11 11 11 11 12 13 13 
			 Darlington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Derby 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Derbyshire 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 7 9 10 10 
			 Devon 5 5 5 5 5 7 8 8 7 9 9 10 11 
			 Doncaster 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 
			 Dorset 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 
			 Dudley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Durham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ealing 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 3 3 3 
			 East Sussex 5 4 4 4 5 6 7 7 6 6 6 8 8 
			 Enfield 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Essex 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 9 9 
			 Gateshead 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 5 5 5 
			 Greenwich 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hackney 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Halton 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 10 12 12 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 
			 Hampshire 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 
			 Haringey 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 
			 Harrow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Hartlepool 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Havering 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Herefordshire 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 4 4 4 
			 Hertfordshire 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 
			 Hillingdon 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Hounslow 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Isle of Wight 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Isles Of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Islington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Kent 10 11 14 15 17 17 18 19 21 30 32 37 37 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Kingston upon Thames 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Kirklees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 
			 Knowsley 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lambeth 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Lancashire 8 9 9 10 13 13 13 15 21 24 26 30 30 
			 Leeds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Leicester 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Leicestershire 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 6 8 8 
			 Lewisham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 2 4 
			 Liverpool 0 0 0 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 
			 Luton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Manchester 1 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Medway 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Merton 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Middlesbrough 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Milton Keynes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Newham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Norfolk 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 5 6 6 7 7 
			 North East Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 D 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Lincolnshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 
			 North Somerset 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 
			 North Yorkshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Northamptonshire 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 
			 Northumberland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Nottingham 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 7 7 7 7 
			 Oldham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 § 0 1 1 1 1 
			 Oxfordshire 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Peterborough 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Plymouth 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Poole 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Reading 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Redbridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Richmond upon Thames 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rochdale 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 19 19 24 24 
			 Rotherham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rutland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 
			 Salford 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Sandwell 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Sefton 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 1 
			 Sheffield 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Shropshire 4 3 4 5 6 7 7 7 9 15 15 15 15 
			 Slough 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Solihull 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Somerset 6 6 9 9 12 11 11 11 12 14 15 17 17 
			 South Gloucestershire 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 South Tyneside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Southampton 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 
			 Southend-on-Sea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Southwark 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 St. Helens 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Staffordshire 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4 5 4 6 8 8 
			 Stockport 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Suffolk 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 6 6 7 8 8 
			 Sunderland 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Surrey 6 6 7 7 8 7 6 7 7 7 9 10 10 
			 Sutton 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 
			 Swindon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Tameside 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 
			 Thurrock 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Torbay 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Trafford 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wakefield 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 
			 Walsall 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Waltham Forest 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wandsworth 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Warrington 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 7 9 9 
			 Warwickshire 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 
			 West Berkshire 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 West Sussex 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 10 14 15 17 17 
			 Westminster 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Wigan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 e 5 6 6 6 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wirral 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Wokingham 1 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 0 0 0 
			 Wolverhampton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Worcestershire 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 York 0 0 0 0 ° 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Source: EduBase.

Pupil Referral Units

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 1559-60W, on pupil referral units, how many pupil referral units  (a) opened and  (b) closed in each local authority area in each year; and how many (i) opened and (ii) closed in 2008.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The numbers of Pupil Referral Units Opened and Closed between 1998 and 2008, by local authority area are detailed in the following tables.
	Please note that the total figures in these tables differ slightly from those to the answer of 21 April 2008,  Official Report, columns 1559-60W, as there have been a number of retrospective changes implemented on the Department's database.
	
		
			  (a) Number of pupil referral units opened in each year, by local authority area 
			   Year of opening  
			  Local authority  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Gran d total 
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Barnet — — — — 1 — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Barnsley — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Bedfordshire 1 — 2 1 1 — — — — — — 5 
			 Birmingham — — — 1 — — — — 1 — — 2 
			 Blackburn with Darwen — — 1 — — 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Blackpool — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Bolton — — 2 — — 8 — 2 3 — — 15 
			 Bournemouth — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Bracknell Forest — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Bradford — — — 2 2 — — 1 — — 1 6 
			 Brent — — — — 4 1 1 — — — 1 7 
			 Bristol City of — — — — 1 1 1 — — — — 3 
			 Bromley — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Buckinghamshire — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Bury — — — — — 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Calderdale — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Cambridgeshire — — — 4 — — 1 — — 1 — 6 
			 Camden — 1 — — — 1 1 — — — — 3 
			 Cheshire — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Cornwall — — — — — — 7 — — — — 3 
			 Coventry — — — — — 2 — 1 1 — 1 5 
			 Croydon — — — — 2 — — 1 — — — 3 
			 Cumbria — — — — — — — — — 1 — 1 
			 Darlington — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Derby — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Derbyshire 1 — — 2 1 — 1 — — — — 5 
			 Devon — — — 1 — 1 3 — — — — 5 
			 Doncaster — — — — 1 — 1 — — — 4 6 
			 Dorset — 1 — 1 — 2 — — — — — 4 
			 Dudley — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Ealing 1 — — — — 1  — — — — 2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire — — — — 2 — — — — — — 2 
			 Enfield — — — — 1 — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Essex — 1 2 — — 1 — — 4 — — 8 
			 Gateshead 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Gloucestershire — — — — 1 — — — 1 3 — 5 
			 Greenwich — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Hackney  1 — — — — 1 — 1 — — 3 
			 Halton — — — — — 2 — — — — — 2 
			 Hampshire — — — — 1 — 1 — — — 1 3 
			 Haringey — — — — — — — — 1 — — 1 
			 Hartlepool — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Havering — — — 1 — 3 — 2 1 — — 7 
			 Herefordshire — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Hillingdon — — — — — — — — — 1  1 
			 Hounslow — — — — — 4 — — — — — 4 
			 Isle of Wight — — — — — — — — — — — 2 
			 Islington 1 — — — — 2 — — — — — 3 
			 Kent — 1 — — — 2 — — 2 3 6 14 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of — — 1 — 1 — — — — — — 2 
			 Kirklees — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Knowsley — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Lambeth — — — 1 1 — — 2 1 — — 5 
			 Lancashire — 1 — — — 5 1 2 1 1 — 11 
			 Leeds — — 2 — — 1 1 — — — — 4 
			 Leicester — — 1 — 2 — — — 1 — 1 5 
			 Leicestershire — — — — — 4 — — — — — 4 
			 Lewisham — — — — 1 — — 1 — — — 2 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Liverpool — — 1 — — 1 — — — — 2 4 
			 Luton — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Manchester 2 — — — 1 1 1 — — — — 5 
			 Medway — 1 — — 1 1 — — — — — 3 
			 Merton — — — — 1 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Middlesbrough — — — — 1 2 1 — — — — 4 
			 Milton Keynes — — — — 1 2 — — — — — 3 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Newham — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Norfolk — 1 — — — — — — — — — 2 
			 North East Lincolnshire — — — — — 1 — — 1 — — 2 
			 North Somerset — 2 — — — — 1 — — — — 3 
			 North Tyneside — — — — 3 — — — — — — 3 
			 North Yorkshire — — 2 — — — — — — — — 2 
			 Northamptonshire — — — 1 1 — 1 1 — — — 4 
			 Northumberland 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Nottingham 1 — — — — 1 — — — — 1 3 
			 Nottinghamshire 1 — — — — — — 1 — — — 2 
			 Oldham — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Oxfordshire — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Portsmouth — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Reading — — — 1 — 1 — 2 — — — 4 
			 Redbridge — — — — 1 — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Rochdale — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Rotherham — — — — 1 1 — 1 — 1 3 7 
			 Salford — — 2 — 1 — — 1 — — 1 5 
			 Sandwell 1 — — — 1 — — 1 — 2 — 5 
			 Seta — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Sheffield — — — — — 2 — — — — — 2 
			 Shropshire — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Slough — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Solihull — — — 1 — — 1 — — — 1 3 
			 Somerset — 1 — — 1 3 8 — 4 2 — 19 
			 South Gloucestershire 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Southampton — — — — 1 — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Southend-on-Sea — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Southwark — — — — 1 — — 1 — — 1 3 
			 St Helens — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Staffordshire 1 — — — 1 1 — 1 — — — 4 
			 Stockport 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent — — — — 1 1 — — 1 — — 3 
			 Suffolk — 1 — 1 1 — 3 2 — — — 8 
			 Sunderland — — — — — — — — — — 4 4 
			 Surrey 1 — — — — 2 1 1 — 1 — 6 
			 Sutton — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Swindon — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Tameside — — — — 2 — — — — — — 2 
			 Telford and Wrekin — — — 1 3 — — 1 — — — 5 
			 Thurrock — — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Torbay — — — 4 1 — — — — — — 5 
			 Trafford — — — — 2 — 1 1 — — — 4 
			 Walsall — — — — — 1 2 — — — — 3 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — 4 1 1 — — — — 7 
			 Wandsworth — 1 — — 1 — — 1 — — — 3 
			 Warrington — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Warwickshire — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 West Berkshire 1 — — — — 2 — 3 — — — 6 
			 West Sussex — — — — — — — — 2 — — 2 
			 Westminster — — — — 1 — 2 — — — — 3 
			 Wigan — — — — 3 — — — — — 4 7 
			 Wiltshire — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Wirral — — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 
			 Wokingham — — — — — 1 — 2 — — — 3 
			 Wolverhampton — — — — — 2 — — — — — 2 
			 Worcestershire 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 York — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Grand total 18 19 23 28 72 75 55 34 27 18 32 401 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) Number of pupil referral units closed in each year, by local authority area 
			   Year of closure  
			  Local authority  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  Grand total 
			 Barnet — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Barnsley — — — — — — — — 1 — — 1 
			 Bedfordshire — — — — 4 — — — — — — 4 
			 Birmingham 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Bolton — — — — — — — 4 4 — — 8 
			 Bracknell Forest — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Bradford — — — 1 — 2 — — — — — 3 
			 Brent — — — — — — 4 — — — — 4 
			 Brighton and Hove — — 4 — — — — — — — — 4 
			 Bristol City of — — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 
			 Bromley 1 — — — — — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Buckinghamshire — — — — 2 — — — — — — 2 
			 Calderdale — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Cambridgeshire — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Cheshire 3 — — — — — — — — — — 3 
			 Cornwall — — — — — — — — — 1 1 2 
			 Coventry — — 1 — — 1 1 — — — 1 4 
			 Darlington — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Derby 3 — — — — — — — — — — 3 
			 Derbyshire — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Devon — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Doncaster — — — — — — 1 — — — 5 6 
			 Dorset — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Dudley — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Ealing 3 — — — — — — — — — — 3 
			 East Sussex — — 1 2 — — — — — — — 3 
			 Enfield — 1 — — — — — 1 — — — 2 
			 Essex — — 1 — — — 4 — — — — 5 
			 Gateshead — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Gloucestershire — — — — — — — — — 4 — 4 
			 Greenwich — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Hackney 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Hampshire — — — 1 3 — 1 — — — — 5 
			 Harrow — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Hartlepool — — — — 1 — — — — — — 1 
			 Havering — — — — — 3 — — 2 — — 5 
			 Herefordshire — 1 1 — — — — — — — — 2 
			 Hertfordshire 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Hounslow — — — — — — — 2 — — — 2 
			 Isle of Wight — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Islington — 1 1 — — — — — — 1 — 3 
			 Kent 2 1 — 1 1 2 — — — — — 7 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of — — 1 1 — — — — — — — 2 
			 Knowsley — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Lambeth — — — — — 1 — 2 — — 1 4 
			 Lancashire 1 — — — — 1 1 2 1 2 — 8 
			 Leeds 2 — 3 — — — — — — — 1 6 
			 Leicester — — — — — — — — 2 — — 2 
			 Leicestershire — — — — — 1 — 2 — — — 3 
			 Lewisham — — — — — — — 2 — 1 — 3 
			 Lincolnshire — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Liverpool — — — 1 — 4 — — — — 1 6 
			 Luton — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Manchester — — — — 1 — — — 1 — — 2 
			 Medway — — — — — — 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Merton — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Milton Keynes — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — 2 — — 1 — — — — — — 3 
			 Norfolk — — 1 — — — — — — — — 1 
			 North East Lincolnshire — — — — — — 1 — 1 — — 2 
			 North Somerset — 1 — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 North Tyneside — 1 1 — — 1 1 — 1 — — 5 
			 Northamptonshire — — — — — — — — 1 1 — 2 
			 Nottingham 1 — 2 — — — — — — — 1 4 
			 Nottinghamshire — — — — — — — 4 — — — 4 
			 Oxfordshire — — — — 6 — — — — — — 6 
			 Peterborough — — — 1 — — — — — — — 1 
			 Portsmouth — — — — — 1 — — 3 — — 4 
			 Reading — — — — — — — 5 — — — 5 
			 Rotherham — — — — — 2 — — — — 2 4 
			 Salford — — — — — — — — 1 — 2 3 
			 Sandwell 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Solihull 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Somerset — — — — — 2 1 — 2 3 1 9 
			 South Tyneside — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Southwark — — — — — — — — — 2 2 4 
			 Staffordshire 1 — 1 2 — — — — — — — 4 
			 Stockport — — — — — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Stockton-on-Tees — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 1 — — — — — — — 2 — — 3 
			 Sunderland — — — — — — — — — — 1 1 
			 Surrey 2 3 — 2 — — — — — — — 7 
			 Telford and Wrekin _ — — — — — — 1 1 — — 2 
			 Thurrock — — — — — — — — 1 — — 1 
			 Torbay — — — — 5 — — — — — — 5 
			 Trafford — — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 
			 Walsall — — — — 1 1 — — — — — 2 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — — 2 2 — — — — 4 
			 Warrington 1 — — — — — — — — — — 1 
			 Warwickshire — 3 — — — — — — — — — 3 
			 West Berkshire — — — — — — — 5 1 — — 6 
			 Wigan — — — — — — — — — — 3 3 
			 Wirral — — — — — — — 1 — — — 1 
			 Wokingham — 1 — — — — — 1 — — — 2 
			 Wolverhampton — — — — — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Worcestershire 2 1 2 — — — — — — — — 5 
			 Grand total 28 20 21 15 26 29 24 35 25 15 25 263 
			  Source: EduBase

Schools: Inspections

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether Ofsted inspectors are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check before taking up their appointment.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the Library.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 4 March 2009:
	Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for a response.
	All Ofsted inspectors are subject to Criminal Records Bureau checks when they are appointed and before they start working for Ofsted. This applies to those we employ directly and those who undertake inspection work on behalf of our inspection service providers.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to the right hon. Jim Knight MP, Minister of State for Schools and Learners, and will be placed in the Library of both Houses.

Schools: Sexuality

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how much has been spent by his Department on the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month; and what guidance his Department has issued to schools on the matter.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In November 2008, the Department agreed to support School's Out with funding for the launch of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) History Month. A grant of up to £14,960 was provided by the Department for this event. The Department has not issued any guidance to schools on LGBT History Month.

Schools: South West

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what steps his Department is taking to provide facilities in schools for  (a) sporting activity and  (b) participation in the arts for young people in the South West.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Through Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and the Primary Capital Programme, all authorities will have the opportunity to review local provision strategically. As authorities enter BSF, they are now required to establish a PE and Sport Stakeholder Group, which inputs to the programme throughout the various phases of the programme, from the initial vision and on to development and delivery. The Strategy for Change guidance sets out expectations for sport, and is currently being revised to include culture.
	In addition, a total of £3.9 million has been awarded to specialist sports colleges in the south-west as part of the £30 million capital programme to improve sports facilities at the most needy sports colleges.

Special Educational Needs: Pilot Schemes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families which pilot schemes related to special educational needs his Department will run in 2009.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: We have commissioned and will be running throughout 2009 several pilot projects in relation to special educational needs (SEN).
	We have been funding the 'No to Failure' project since 2007 (2009 will be the last year of its funding) to trailblaze and evaluate the impact of specialist teaching for children with dyslexia, with three local authorities, and schools within their area, taking part in the pilots.
	We have been funding Dyslexia Action since 2008 to run Partnership for Literacy pilots until 2010. These pilots will provide a body of specialist knowledge in each school so they are better placed to meet the needs of children struggling in the bottom 10 per cent. of attainment, including those at risk of dyslexia.
	The Lamb inquiry commissioned eight projects, to run over the 2008/09 school year. These will provide opportunities for local authorities to work with partners to explore ways of increasing parental confidence in the SEN assessment process.
	We also have pilot projects that have started or are due to start in 2009. We have commenced a pilot project to raise awareness and status of British Sign Language (BSL). This project started in January 2009 and will run until 2011; in addition to awareness raising one of the project's key objectives is to increase the BSL skill levels of the children's work force to meet the needs of pupil who use BSL.
	The 'Achievement for All' pilots are intended to improve outcomes and progress of children with SEN and disabled children. The pilots will begin in schools in September 2009 in 10 local authorities.
	We will start a pilot on improving the supply of curriculum materials for visually impaired and dyslexic pupils in spring 2009.
	Additionally, the Department also runs a grant programme (the Children and Young People and Families Grant programme), which funds projects, and there are a number of funded pathfinders. We also run a number of general pilots that benefit children with SEN, for example the 'Making Good Progress' pilots.

Teachers TV

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many  (a) hits and  (b) unique users the Teachers TV website has received in each year since its inception.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Data are only collected on the number of unique users and the number of visits. Data on the number of hits that the Teachers TV website receives have not been collected since April 2006, as this was not considered an accurate way to measure success.
	The data are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of unique users  Number of visits  Number of hits 
			 2005 (1)675,926 (1)1,439,479 (1)47,262,098 
			 2006 1,218,211 2,543,530 (2)41,272,550 
			 2007 1,822,524 3,419,029 — 
			 2008 2,818,295 4,184,890 — 
			 2009(3) 278,082 378,005 — 
			 (1 )Does not include data for April 2005. (2) Includes only data on the number of hits from January to April 2006. (3) Data relate to January 2009.

Teachers: Training

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what the  (a) target number of places and  (b) number of places filled for (i) mathematics, (ii) physics and (iii) chemistry teacher trainees for each type of teacher training was in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of training places made available to the Training and Development Agency (TDA) for mathematics and science for the academic years from 1999/2000 to 2008/09:
	
		
			  Initial teacher training (ITT) places( 1)  by subject, 1999/2000 to 2008/09, England 
			   Mathematics  Science 
			 1999/2000(2) 1,680 2,390 
			 2000/01 1,850 2,690 
			 2001/02 1,940 2,810 
			 2002/03 1,940 2,850 
			 2003/04 2,315 3,225 
			 2004/05 2,350 3,225 
			 2005/06 2,350 3,325 
			 2006/07 2,350 3,225 
			 2007/08 2,350 3,225 
			 2008/09 2,735 3,615 
			 (1 )Targets prior to 2008/09 include School Centred ITT but exclude Employment Based ITT (EBITT). Targets for 2008/09 include EBITT, but exclude Teach First. (2 )1999/2000 places exclude 600 Maths and Science 600 Scheme places.  Source:  DCSF 
		
	
	Recruitment figures to mainstream college-based ITT courses in these subjects for each academic year between 1999/2000 and 2008/09 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Recruitment to mainstream ITT Courses( 1, 2) , 1999/2000 to 2008/09 
			  England  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09( 3) 
			 Mathematics 1,300 1,290 1,550 1,670 1,940 2,030 1,920 2,000 1,970 2,040 
			 Science(4) 2,360 2,410 2,590 2,700 2,870 2,830 2,890 2,990 3,040 3,130 
			  of which   
			 Physics — — — — — — — 350 470 510 
			 Chemistry — — — — — — — 530 730 800 
			 (1 )Figures cover universities and other HE institutions, SCITT and OU but exclude employment based routes. (2 )Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. (3 )Recruitment figures for 2008/09 are provisional and are subject to change. They comprise actual registrations and trainees who are expected to enter ITT during the academic year. (4 )Prior to 2006/07, the breakdown for science subjects was not available.  Source:  TDA Survey of ITT Providers/Trainee Numbers Census. 
		
	
	Recruitment figures to employer based ITT courses in these subjects for each academic year between 1999/2000 and 2008/09 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Intake on employment based ITT( 1, 2) , 1999/2000 to 2008/09 
			  England  1999/2000  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09( 3) 
			 Mathematics 70 120 300 390 570 560 520 490 450 340 
			 Science(4) 80 170 460 520 660 750 660 610 570 400 
			  of which   
			 Physics — — — — — — — 50 50 50 
			 Chemistry — — — — — — — 70 80 50 
			 (1 )Recruitment figures for 2008/09 are for the autumn term only and are provisional. Further trainees are expected to start on employment based routes during the year. Figures from 2003/04 onwards are subject to future revision. (2 )Recruitment numbers shown are rounded to the nearest 10. (3 )Recruitment figures for 2008/09 are provisional and are subject to change. (4 )Prior to 2006/07, the breakdown for science subjects was not available.  Source:  TDA Survey of ITT Providers/Trainee Numbers Census.

Teachers: Training

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment his Department has made of the merits of carrying out a review of the future of the Bachelor of Education course; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department has given no consideration to the need to carry out a review of the future of the Bachelor of Education course. Undergraduate teacher training courses remain an important route for training school teachers.

Young People: Unemployment

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many and what proportion of people aged 16 to 24 years were not in education, employment or training in  (a) 1997 and  (b) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available, broken down by region.

Si�n Simon: I have been asked to reply.
	The following tables show estimates of the number and percentage of people aged(1) 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET) for regions in England. These estimates are from the labour force survey (LFS).
	We are unable to provide NEET estimates for 1997 as all the data necessary to produce them are not available on datasets prior to quarter 2 2000, therefore we have given the earliest data possible for reference.
	(1) Age used is the respondent's academic age, which is defined as their age at the preceding 31 August.
	
		
			  Not in education, employment or training (NEET) by region, age 16 to 24 
			  Number 
			   Q 2 2000  Q1 2007  Q2 2007  Q3 2007  Q4 2007  Q1 2008  Q2 2008  Q3 2008  Q4 2008 
			 England 655,000 828,000 833,000 909,000 782,000 810,000 840,000 973,000 857,000 
			   
			 North East 62,000 48,000 47,000 52,000 49,000 52,000 56,000 65,000 54,000 
			 North West 93,000 127,000 134,000 144,000 120,000 136,000 139,000 151,000 142,000 
			 Yorks and Humber 74,000 97,000 92,000 105,000 82,000 75,000 101,000 119,000 92,000 
			 East Midlands 60,000 72,000 66,000 81,000 70,000 69,000 71,000 86,000 68,000 
			 West Midlands 75,000 111,000 107,000 111,000 93,000 95,000 98,000 119,000 105,000 
			 East of England 52,000 76,000 84,000 92,000 74,000 87,000 77,000 82,000 79,000 
			 London 130,000 119,000 130,000 136,000 123,000 129,000 132,000 149,000 131,000 
			 South East 67,000 107,000 112,000 125,000 116,000 104,000 111,000 131,000 122,000 
			 South West 42,000 70,000 61,000 63,000 56,000 63,000 55,000 71,000 63,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Q 2 2000  Q1 2007  Q2 2007  Q3 2007  Q4 2007  Q1 2008  Q2 2008  Q3 2008  Q4 2008 
			 England 12.8 14.1 14.2 15.4 13.1 13.6 14.0 16.2 14.2 
			   
			 North East 22.6 15.2 14.6 16.4 15.3 16.2 17.4 19.6 16.7 
			 North West 13.2 15.2 16.1 17.3 14.2 16.1 16.2 17.6 16.8 
			 Yorks and Humber 14.3 14.5 13.9 15.9 12.3 11.3 15.1 17.8 13.6 
			 East Midlands 13.7 13.8 12.8 15.1 13.0 13.1 13.4 15.9 12.8 
			 West Midlands 13.6 18.0 17.4 17.6 14.7 15.0 15.6 18.7 16.4 
			 East of England 10.2 12.8 14.1 15.2 12.1 14.1 12.5 13.5 12.9 
			 London 14.9 13.8 15.1 15.7 14.2 14.8 14.5 16.5 14.6 
			 South East 8.5 12.0 12.4 14.0 12.8 11.5 12.1 14.4 13.2 
			 South West 9.2 12.7 11.1 11.2 9.8 10.9 9.7 12.7 11.1

Youth Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many of the myplace projects approved by his Department are to be managed by local authorities.

Beverley Hughes: To date, myplace funding of 240 million has been awarded to 62 projects. 33 of those projects are local authority (LA) led, however one of these LA-led projects has presented plans to transfer management to the third sector once the capital delivery phase is complete, leaving 32 projects that we expect to be managed by LAs.

Youth Services

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families whether his Department plans to provide support to the 24 June 2009 national round table on detached youth work.

Beverley Hughes: The Department is aware that the Federation of Detached Youth workers are planning to hold an event on 24 June. The Federation has not extended an invitation to the Department.

Youth Services: Public Consultation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many young people were involved in consultations on each of his Department's myplace projects; on what dates these consultations took place; and how many young people are directly involved in the management of each of the approved projects.

Beverley Hughes: All 'myplace' projects have demonstrated that young people, particularly disadvantaged young people, have been and will be active participants in the design, development and management of the new facility.
	The Big Lottery Fund reports that it is disproportionate to cost to provide specific information at this notice about how many young people were involved in consultations on each of 'myplace' projects; the dates the consultations took place; and how many young people are directly involved in the management of each of the projects. The Big Lottery Fund is able to report that 'myplace' projects have engaged thousands of young people across the country through a variety of methods including local youth parliaments, councils or neighbourhood forums; through open consultation events, surveys and focus groups; and through their attendance at existing projects. 'myplace' projects have also demonstrated that young people will continue to influence directly the ongoing management of the new facility. Proposed approaches include the use of youth forums, young people sitting directly on management committees, establishing shadow youth boards, appointing a young person as the project's assistant director and passing the governance of the whole project over to young people through the creation of a youth-led trust.